Kompany Speaks Out: Mourinho Wrong to Downplay Racism Incident

Vincent Kompany criticizes Jose Mourinho's handling of Vinicius Jr.

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany disagrees with Mourinho's take on Vinicius Jr. racism allegations, saying it's something that shouldn't be accepted.

“On top ⁠of it, he mentions the name of Eusebio - to say that Benfica cannot be racist because the best player in the history of Benfica...”

Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich manager, has slammed Jose Mourinho's handling of the racism allegations involving Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr, calling the Benfica coach's comments a “huge mistake” in leadership. Kompany believes Mourinho's response to the incident was unacceptable, especially since it involved attacking Vinicius' character over his goal celebration.

The Incident

TV footage showed Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni covering his mouth with his shirt while making a comment that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur. UEFA has launched an investigation into the allegations of discriminatory behavior.

UEFA Investigates Allegations of Discriminatory Behaviour

UEFA is looking into claims of discriminatory behaviour during the Champions League playoff match between Benfica and Real Madrid, which Real won 1-0 thanks to a Vinicius goal.

Vincent Kompany defends Vini Jr and criticizes José Mourinho for his statements after the game pic.twitter.com/FC5BZSmJxb

— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) February 20, 2026

Mourinho's Response Sparks Controversy

Benfica coach Jose Mourinho defended his player, Gianluca Prestianni, saying Vinicius incited the crowd with his celebration and arguing that Benfica can't be racist since Eusebio, their greatest player, was Black. This response has sparked criticism, with many calling it tone-deaf and dismissive of Vinicius' experience.

Kompany told reporters in a 12-minute response in support of Vinicius:

Jose Mourinho basically attacks the character of Vinicius Jr by bringing in the type of celebration to discredit what Vinicius is doing. For me, in terms of leadership, it's a huge mistake. It's something we should not accept.

On top ⁠of it, he mentions the name of Eusebio - to say that Benfica cannot be racist because the best player in the history of Benfica is Eusebio. You know what Black players had to go through in the 1960s? Was he ‌there to travel with Eusebio (to) every away game?

My dad is a Black person from the 1960s also who made his way. Probably at the time the only option they had is to be quiet, to say nothing, to be above it and to be 10 times better to get a little bit of credit.

Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich manager, shared his personal experiences with racism, including instances during his time as captain of the Belgian national team. He acknowledged that while he's met many people who work with Jose Mourinho and have positive things to say about him, he believes Mourinho made a mistake in his response to the Vinicius Jr. incident.

 Read Also: FIFA President Condemns Alleged Racism Against Vinicius Junior

Kompany criticized Mourinho's comments, saying they were a “huge mistake” in leadership and should not be accepted. He also highlighted the importance of acknowledging and learning from mistakes, rather than justifying or downplaying them.

“So I know he's a good person, I don't need to judge him as a person. But I know what I've heard and I understand maybe what he's done - he's made a ⁠mistake and it's something that hopefully ⁠in the future won't ‌happen like this again,“ he said.