1998 FIFA World Cup winner Lilian Thuram has expressed his disappointment in veteran Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho for his comments about Vinicius Jnr’s alleged racial abuse against Benfica.
Vinicius accused young Argentine winger Gianluca Prestianni of calling him a monkey during the feisty UCL clash between Real Madrid and Benfica at the Estadio Da Luz in Lisbon, where the visitors won 1-0 via Brazilian’s sumptuous strike.
Jose Mourinho blamed Vinicius for inciting the fans’ reaction when he was quizzed about the incident.
Jose Mourinho’s comments about Vinicius
“When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.” When he was asked if he believed Vinicius “incited” the home crowd and players with his celebration, Jose responded, “Yeah, I believe so”.
Lilian Thuram criticises Mourinho:
“The nature of his comments is why we are not advancing. Mourinho is a great coach, with an exceptional career, who has worked with many black players, and yet that hasn’t stopped him, firstly, from questioning the veracity of the act of racism and, secondly, from suggesting that the responsibility lies with the victim [Vinicius], for the way in which he celebrated his goal. How can he say that?”
“Do you think that when children who are victims of racist acts in school or on the football pitch, it is because of their behaviour? No. So what is needed? For Vinicius and the children to come to football or to school with another skin colour?
“Mourinho suggests that it is Vinicius’ fault, that he asked for it, basically. It’s totally shocking. That superiority complex of some white people prevents them from putting themselves in the place of the victims. They need more humility. And how can you not take into account what the players are saying? So Vinicius is mad, he ran to the referee with a fabricated insult? Mbappe heard it too, so Mbappe is mad too? The blacks are mad, is that it? They’re paranoid and make up stories…?
“When Mourinho wants to make us believe that Vinicius is responsible for the racism he suffers, it’s pathetic. With that analysis, he [Mourinho] becomes a small person, a small man. As long as there is behaviour like that, we won’t all be unified to fight it. And that is also the story of racism. Mourinho is not considering the racist act as a man, but as a white man. One does not need to think with one’s skin colour.”
