Mourinho refused to attend the press conference
The Catalan press has continued its onslaught against Portuguese manager José Mourinho following his absence from the post-match press conference after Real Madrid’s 1-0 win yesterday, Saturday—a match marked by the red card shown to Los Merengues star Vinicius Junior for pulling opponent Nathan Saliba by the hair.
Writing in Sport, Sergio R. Viñas argues that the “conciliatory, peaceful, and calm” José Mourinho who seemed to arrive at Real Madrid has “completely vanished” in less than two months since the start of the season. Just nine matches were enough for the Portuguese coach to pull out “the best catalog of victimhood tools” in press conferences, according to the article.
Mourinho justified his absence by expressing a desire to be on the bench for the upcoming matches against Sevilla and Barcelona. In the author’s view, this means he “felt powerless to control his anger over refereeing performances” and chose silence out of fear of facing sanctions for what he might say.
The match also witnessed chants from the Real Madrid stands such as “Negreira is still refereeing,” “Corruption in the federation,” and “Tebas, leave now.”
The author notes that the Bernabéu is rarely seen “entertaining itself, in the absence of good football, with conspiracy theories”—a narrative he considers “convenient for hiding what is essential”: Real Madrid under Mourinho “still hasn’t taken off” and remains “stuck in the shortcomings carried over from the previous two seasons.”
Vinicius’s Red Card
Vinicius Junior’s expulsion was the “epicenter of the noise” in the match, described by Viñas as a “very clear red card” according to the regulations.
The report explained that Vinicius was sent off “for pulling an opponent’s hair while the ball was in play and without the ball being contested between them.” The author notes that this wording guarantees a suspension of at least two matches—meaning he will miss El Clásico at Camp Nou in two weeks—and the ban could even be extended due to the “aggressive attitude” noted by the referee.
Viñas believes Vinicius’s problem goes beyond his “irresponsible gesture.” The club is reportedly hiding its concern over his physical condition, as he remains “very far from his known level,” especially after signing a “multimillion-dollar renewal” running until 2032.
The writer added that the white supporters greeted Vinicius with whistles and jeers when he entered the pitch, because “something broke between the Bernabéu and the Brazilian last season, and it doesn’t look like an easy wound to heal.”
He concluded that the reaction of his teammates and Mourinho—who formed a large circle to embrace him after a goal that was ultimately disallowed—demonstrated “a collective will to pamper Vinicius and recover his best version,” which is a “cure that, so far, has failed,” according to the author.
By Mohamed almou