Seedorf on Mou: Mistake to justify racial abuse

Benfica coach José Mourinho has been criticised by Clarence Seedorf and other TV pundits after appearing to suggest that Vinícius Júnior had provoked racist abuse with his goal celebration in Tuesday's Champions League game between the sides.

Vinícius accused Benfica's Argentinian player Gianluca Prestianni of racial abuse after the Brazilian scored in the 50th minute, leading to the match in Lisbon being paused for 10 minutes. Prestianni, who was captured by images covering his mouth with his jersey during the alleged incident, has denied the allegations.

The 20-year-old forward faces a potential 10-match ban if found guilty of racial abuse in UEFA's disciplinary code. The European football governing body said Wednesday it has appointed a special investigator to gather evidence.

Mourinho spoke with both players on the field during a 10-minute stoppage after the referee initiated UEFA's anti-racism protocol and said after the game he "didn't know" who was telling the truth.

Asked if he thought Vinícius had incited the home crowd by dancing by the corner flag during his goal celebration, Mourinho said: "He should have been carried off on his teammates' shoulders, and not messed with 60,000 people in this stadium."

Mourinho then appeared to refer to the numerous incidents of racist abuse from fans which Vinícius has experienced in recent years in Spain, which have resulted in prosecutions and convictions in Spanish courts.

"In how many stadiums has this happened? How many?" he said. "Vinícius scored a fantastic goal. Why didn't he celebrate like Eusebio, Pelé, or Di Stéfano?"

Dutch great and Amazon Prime pundit Seedorf, a former Real Madrid player, was very critical of Mourinho's comments and said: "I think he made a big mistake today to justify racial abuse and I'm not saying that was the case today but he mentioned something more than today.

"He said wherever he goes these things happen, so he's saying it's OK when Vinícius provokes you, that is it OK to be racist and I think that is very wrong. We should never, ever justify racial abuse."

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé was among several Madrid players demanding that action be taken against Prestianni.

Mbappé claimed he heard Prestianni "say that Vini is a monkey five times."

France and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, a TV pundit for CBS Sport, said he felt let down by Mourinho's remarks.

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"I believe Kylian," Henry told CBS Sports.

"We all have massive respect for Benfica but that individual [Prestianni] needs to answer to what Kylian has said. He cannot just come out and say 'I didn't say anything' so, why did you cover your mouth then?

"What has been said, it's been said that Vinícius Júnior is a monkey. What are we talking about once again? What shall we do? And on top of that he [Vinícius] can't celebrate?

"I don't like Real Madrid, but I'm a Madridista tonight. You don't want to see that. I don't care what shirt Vinícius Júnior is wearing. I heard some people saying it is always happening to him. Who cares! Why are we trying to move [away from] the subject or the situation? Let's go back to the point. Enough is enough. It's a beautiful game .... We are here to score goals or make people happy but then when someone is getting hurt we don't act, we victimise the guy. Seriously, what are we talking about?"

A statement from anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said: "When anyone reports discrimination in football, or anywhere, the first priority is that they are listened to and feel supported.

"Focusing on Vinicius Jr's goal celebration or the history of the club, instead of acknowledging the report, is a form of gaslighting.

"This approach not only harms the individual affected but also sends the wrong message to others around the world who may have experienced similar situations.

"Leaders in football have a crucial role in setting standards, and moments like these call for responsible leadership that reinforces respect, inclusion, and accountability.

"We look forward to a thorough investigation into this incident, with appropriate accountability linked to the outcome."

Mourinho, who was shown a red card himself in the 85th minute of Tuesday's playoff opener, will be suspended for next week's second leg at the Bernabéu stadium.