Mourinho demands protection for Vinicius after 2-1 Espanyol win

Jose Mourinho has called on La Liga referees to protect Vinicius Junior more effectively after Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Espanyol. The manager said the Brazilian winger was subjected to repeated physical challenges that were not dealt with firmly enough by officials.

Mourinho pointed to an incident early in the Espanyol match when Alex Calatrava kicked Vinicius without receiving a booking. Calatrava later scored for Espanyol before being shown a yellow card for another foul on the Real Madrid winger.

The Real Madrid manager argued that the failure to punish the first challenge gave opponents encouragement to continue targeting Vinicius. In his view, referees set the standard for the match through their early decisions, and a lack of sanctions can allow aggressive treatment to grow.

Mourinho also questioned why the video assistant referee did not intervene during the game. He said, however, that the main responsibility for preventing dangerous physical play rests with the referee on the pitch rather than the VAR official.

The manager compared players’ behaviour with children testing boundaries. His argument was that opponents keep pushing when officials permit them to do so, making an early yellow card an important way to stop repeated fouling.

Mourinho defended Vinicius while acknowledging that the winger could improve his conduct in exchanges with opposing supporters. He separated ordinary football provocation from racist abuse, but said Vinicius could deal with some situations more effectively.

That criticism did not change Mourinho’s central position: shortcomings in the player’s reactions do not justify opponents being allowed to use physical aggression against him. The 2-1 result over Espanyol therefore became the setting for Mourinho’s broader complaint about how Vinicius is treated in La Liga.