(Video) "He is not an angel, but this is exaggerated": Mourinho defends Vinícius Jr

22.08.26 FT LaLiga Spain

Espanyol

1

:

Real Madrid

2

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho reflected on a hard fought, late victory against Espanyol on Saturday evening using his post match press conference to vigorously defend Vinicius Junior from persistent on pitch targeting and praise the attitude of his bench.

Read Also: (Video) The Barcelona standoff: Julian Alvarez faces wrath of Atletico fans in toxic return

A deserved win against a resilient Espanyol

Marking his first official La Liga match back at the helm of Los Blancos, Mourinho acknowledged the immense difficulty of breaking down the Catalan side.

"I think we deserved to win, but Espanyol didn't deserve to lose.. We controlled the game well, pressed hard, and took a lot of risks. Espanyol defends in a certain way and launches dangerous counter-attacks. They are a highly organized team and therefore, I think it’s tough for them to come away from a game like this with a loss" Mourinho admitted, as quoted by Spanish outlet Marca.

The impact of substitutes & Bellingham's stamina

With the 2026 /27 season just kicking off, the Portuguese tactician noted that his squad is still building its physical conditioning.

He specifically mentioned Jude Bellingham, admitting he did not expect the English midfielder to last as long as he did on the pitch.

Ultimately, Mourinho credited the late victory to the energy brought on from the sidelines.

"This win will be very important for us.. It is a victory thanks to the substitutes. Frustrated substitutes are of no use at all, whereas highly motivated substitutes are the ones who can achieve the win" he emphasized.

Defending Vinícius Júnior against "Bullying"

A significant portion of Mourinho's press conference was dedicated to the harsh treatment endured by Vinícius Júnior.

The manager expressed deep concern over the systematic fouling and hostility aimed at the Brazilian forward.

"I am afraid you might refer back to my statements from months ago when I was an opponent of Vinícius. Now, Vinícius is not an angel or a saint but what they are doing to him is exaggerated" Mourinho stated firmly.

He highlighted a tactical pattern used by opponents:

"The issue repeats itself from one opponent to another. If a player gets a yellow card for committing a foul against him, another player comes in and fouls him without getting carded. If a player is substituted, another comes on just to foul him"

Mourinho revealed he has urged his star winger to maintain his composure.

"I told him that if he scores a goal, he needs to be careful in his celebration. We live in a social era that is anti-bullying, yet with Vinícius, we are still facing bullying from opponents and fans. We have to educate and prepare him as much as possible"

Despite the physical nature of the game, Mourinho was unusually complimentary of the officiating, concluding:

"I think the referee had a great game. I’m not just saying this because we won, I’m saying it from the perspective of the bench"

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

Related teams and leagues

Espanyol

Real Madrid

LaLiga Spain