Jose Mourinho condemns treatment of Vinicius Jr. following Real Madrid's season opener

Real Madrid secured a narrow 2-1 victory against Espanyol in their La Liga season opener on Saturday, August 22, 2026. The winning goal was scored by Espi in the 90th minute, marking a successful return for manager Jose Mourinho to the club's bench.

Despite the victory, Mourinho used the post-match press conference to strongly criticize the treatment of Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr., who suffered eight fouls during the match. Mourinho accused both the opposing players and local fans of orchestrating a campaign of systematic bullying against the 25-year-old player. He described the fouls as a coordinated effort where players rotated responsibilities to avoid individual disciplinary actions from the referee.

While Mourinho acknowledged that Vinicius is not perfect, he emphasized that the level of hostility directed at him is excessive and contradictory to modern standards against bullying in sports. The manager noted that he has advised the player to maintain emotional control despite the constant provocation.