Jose Mourinho Won’t Repeat Xabi Alonso’s Mistakes With Vinicius Junior

Despite his controversial backing of former Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni, Real Madrid manager José Mourinho threw his full support behind Vinícius Júnior, insisting the Brazilian winger “can count on” him this season.

Mourinho came under fire last February when he emphatically backed Prestianni after the player was accused of hurling racist insults at Vinícius Jr during Los Blancos’ Champions League bout with Benfica. The Portuguese boss went as far as to insinuate Vinícius Jr invited such abuse for celebrating in front of the home crowd at the Estádio da Luz.

The incident cast a gloomy shadow on Mourinho’s return the Bernabéu, where he now has to work side by side with Vinícius Jr. But the 63-year-old made sure there would be no questions about where his loyalty now lies.

“The answer is very simple: Prestianni was my player,” Mourinho explained on El Chiringuito. “That’s it, there’s no debate. If Prestianni is my player ... 20 players can come at me and I’m still with Prestianni. End of story.

“I think Vini knows now. He knows whose side I’m on and he knows he can look at me and count on me to stand alongside him.”

Prestianni, who proclaimed his innocence by insisting he instead called Vinícius Jr a homophobic slur, was eventually handed a six-match ban from UEFA that FIFA upheld.

Mourinho Turns His Attention to the Referees

As if to prove he is now truly standing with Vinícius Jr, Mourinho then took aim at refereeing decisions that go against the superstar No. 7. The “Special One” got to see firsthand how his new player is officiated when Vinícius Jr was denied a stonewall penalty in Real Madrid’s 3–0 preseason win over Schalke.

“The other day, when they didn’t give him a penalty as big as the Bernabéu, I was already out there in the middle of the field fighting for him. He knows I’m going to be there for him,” Mourinho continued.

“I think people have to learn how to behave toward him, and I’m talking about referees too. Vinícius is a player like everyone else. You can’t give a penalty if it’s Pedrerol ... and then not give the penalty because it’s Vinícius.

"You can’t protect Mourinho and not protect Vinícius.”

Mourinho’s loyalty will no doubt be tested in the early weeks of the new La Liga season. Real Madrid seemingly have no plans to drop their public crusade against Spanish referees, and Mourinho at the helm gives club president Florentino Pérez the perfect outspoken ally.

In fact, Mourinho even addressed the Negreira case, which alleges Barcelona bribed former vice president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) refereeing committee José María Enríquez Negreira. “When I was here, I could smell something,” he said.

Mourinho Learning From Xabi Alonso’s Mistakes

From the moment Mourinho took charge Real Madrid, he has lavished Vinícius Jr in praise, making sure the player feels his support both publicly and privately. It’s a drastic departure from the approach Xabi Alonso took when he was in the same position last summer.

The Spaniard was not even managing Real Madrid for two months when he reportedly tried to drop Vinícius Jr from his XI for the team’s showdown with Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semifinals. Alonso then made it routine to overlook Vinícius Jr in La Liga and Champions League matches, one time even starting Fran García at left wing over the Brazil international.

The two then had a public falling out in the first Clásico of 2025–26 when Alonso took Vinícius Jr out of the game, prompting the forward to lose his head and storm straight down the tunnel. The strained relationship ultimately played a part in Alonso’s exit that January.

Mourinho is making sure to avoid a similar approach with Vinícius Jr, who just signed a six-year extension with Real Madrid after nearly 19 months of negotiations. The new boss knows Los Blancos are at their best when Vinícius Jr is at his best—and the forward needs the support of his manager to reach his top form.

Under Alonso, Vinícius Jr scored just seven goals in 33 appearances. Once Álvaro Arbeloa took over, the forward scored 16 goals in the second half of the season. That’s the production Mourinho needs to get Real Madrid back to championship winning ways.