Mourinho decries alleged bullying of Vinicius after Real's win at Espanyol

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho decried what he described as persistent "bullying" of Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr, alleging that opponents and supporters targeted the player during their opening 2-1 LaLiga victory over Espanyol.

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Vinicius is no saint, but what they're doing to him was too much. Right from the first minute. It's a pattern that repeats itself from one opponent to the next.

Mourinho expressed frustration over the rough treatment Vinicius endured from the first minute of the match, characterizing it as a deliberate and repetitive strategy by opposing teams. "I'll give him one, now you give him one. If I get a yellow card, you give him one. If I'm substituted, another player comes on who hasn't been booked yet, and you give him one," Mourinho explained, illustrating the perceived pattern of fouls and provocations.

The Portuguese coach emphasized the need for Vinicius to maintain significant emotional control amidst the constant provocation. He advised the winger to be mindful of his goal celebrations, suggesting they could further incite opponents. "We're in an era where society is against bullying, yet with Vini we're still seeing bullying – from opponents and from the crowd," Mourinho stated, adding that the club must educate and prepare the player.

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He needs to have a lot of emotional control. I've told him that if he scores a goal, he needs to be careful how he celebrates it.

The controversy echoes incidents from the previous season when Vinicius faced discriminatory abuse. Mourinho's past defense of a player involved in such an incident drew criticism, highlighting the sensitive nature of the ongoing discussions surrounding player treatment and fan behavior in football.

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We're in an era where society is against bullying, yet with Vini we're still seeing bullying – from opponents and from the crowd. We have to educate him and prepare him as best we can, and that's it.