Mourinho urges Vinicius Jr to control emotions

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has urged winger Vinicius Jr to improve his emotional control following claims that he is being bullied on the pitch. The 63-year-old's comments come after the Brazilian received an avoidable yellow card in Real Madrid's 2-1 La Liga win over Espanyol for arguing with midfielder Cala in the first half.

Vinicius Jr has been the subject of regular abuse during his eight-year tenure at Real Madrid, including an instance of alleged racial abuse by Gianluca Prestianni when Mourinho was interceding for the club. Mourinho acknowledged his own past words as an opponent of Vinicius Jr, but emphasized that his star player is not a saint and that the treatment he receives is excessive.

Mourinho claims that the Brazilian is targeted by opponents and teams alike to provoke a reaction from the start of matches. He believes that Vinicius Jr is frustrated by this and needs to have greater emotional control. After receiving the yellow card, Mourinho spoke to Vinicius Jr at halftime, warning him about the consequences of his actions and celebrations on the pitch.

Mourinho acknowledged that the Brazilian is still living in an era of bullying, both from opponents and the crowd, and emphasized the need for education and preparation to combat this issue.