Mourinho fumes over Vinícius ban, calls it an anti-Real plot

José Mourinho, coach of Real Madrid, hit out at LaLiga after Vinícius Jr was handed a heavy sanction: the Brazilian received a four-game ban and, as Mourinho complained, found out two hours before kick-off for the Champions League clash vs AS Roma, which ended in a dramatic 4-3 comeback.

The day he snapped

Mourinho defended the winger, who started the match but had little impact in the 90 minutes after his earlier exclusion following an incident with an opponent in Real Madrid–Villarreal (1-0). Back then, Mourinho had already shown his frustration about media handling.

The Portuguese coach also questioned the timing: “Is it normal for a player… to learn two hours before such an important match for an Spanish club that he’s suspended for four games?” he told reporters. He then escalated his accusations, implying the governing body is acting with intent against Real.

“The cat isn’t hidden”

Mourinho added that the decision could have been communicated earlier (“Couldn’t they do it tomorrow morning?”) and used a proverb-like line to argue that any hidden strategy is now out in the open. He finished insisting fans aren’t “stupid” and said he’ll push people to “open their eyes”, stressing Vinícius will miss the Clásico vs Barcelona.