It has been difficult — Mourinho makes admission after controversial Vinicius racism comment

Benfica manager Jose Mourinho has spoken in a press conference for the first time since his controversial comments surrounding the alleged racially motivated insults Vinicius suffered from an Eagles player in the Champions League playoffs clash against Real Madrid.

As Pulse Sports reported, Vinicius and his teammate Kylian Mbappe accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of calling the Brazil international a monkey. The alleged abuse came after Vinicius scored a screamer and celebrated elaborately, sparking an incensed reaction from the stadium.

Videos making the rounds on social media have shown unscrupulous characters in the stadium making monkey gestures. Most damning, however, was the claim that Prestianni racially abused Vinicius.

The Argentine has denied the allegations, as have Benfica via their official statement. In the post-match press conference, Mourinho claimed he did not want to take a side but attacked Vinicius’s character, blaming him for inciting the fans’ adverse reactions.

The Portuguese tactician has been widely criticised for the role he played in the incident, the most recent coming from Vincent Kompany, who reproached the ex-Chelsea coach for his disappointing comments.

Ahead of their league clash against AVS this weekend, Mourinho admitted the incident has created tension and has been emotionally heavy.

“The match was truly demanding in every aspect. Up until the 50th minute, it was a game of maximum intensity, both physically and tactically, requiring the necessary concentration to play at that level,” he said, per Football Espana.

“But I must also admit that from the 50th minute until now, it hasn’t been easy to emotionally manage everything that has happened and continues to happen. But tomorrow (Saturday against AVS) there’s an important match for our ambitions and dreams. Winning is fundamental. We need to concentrate and be at our best.”