Mourinho urges Vinicius Jr to control emotions

Jose Mourinho, the Real Madrid boss, has called upon Vinicius Jr to demonstrate better emotional control after the Brazilian winger received a yellow card for arguing with a midfielder during Real Madrid's 2-1 La Liga win against Espanyol. The 63-year-old manager's remarks come after Vinicius Jr has been the subject of regular abuse during his time with the Spanish giants, including accusations of racial abuse leveled at him by Gianluca Prestianni while Mourinho was the coach at Benfica, a claim the Argentine denies.

Mourinho expressed his frustrations, stating that Vinicius Jr is being targeted by opponents to provoke a reaction from the first minute of the game. The Portuguese coach revealed that he discussed the issue with Vinicius Jr during halftime, warning him about how to avoid drawing unwanted attention from the stands. Mourinho emphasized that Vinicius Jr needs to maintain emotional composure, as the player finds himself caught in a persistent era of bullying, both from opponents and the crowd.

The Real Madrid manager stressed the importance of educating and preparing Vinicius Jr for the challenges he faces on the pitch.