Jose Mourinho, the “Special One” himself, totally ghosted the media after Real Madrid’s 1-0 win against Villarreal on Saturday. Why? Because Brazilian striker Vinicius Jr. got tossed for a wild hair-pull that killed his own goal and sent the whole post-game into chaos, leaving Mourinho absolutely furious.
VAR Strikes, Vini Jr. Ejected, Goal Overturned
You just knew it was going to be a wild one. Vinicius Jr. came on in the 52nd minute, ready to make an impact. And he did, scoring what looked like a crucial goal. But then VAR, man, VAR came calling. The referee got sent to the monitor, and just like that, the goal was off the board. Why? Because the replay clearly showed Vini Jr. pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair right before he scored. That’s violent conduct, plain and simple, and the ref gave him a straight red card. This whole thing went down just 20 minutes after Vini Jr. even stepped on the pitch. Mourinho, who just rejoined Real Madrid this summer, was celebrating with his team and even ran over to Vini Jr. a few seconds before VAR flipped the script and sent him off. You can only imagine the meltdown happening on the bench after that.
The Fallout: A Silent Coach and a Missing Star for El Clasico?
Mourinho skipping the usual post-match press conference at the Bernabeu wasn’t just him being a sore loser. Multiple reports are saying he did it to “avoid a possible suspension.” Knowing Mourinho’s character, on and off the pitch, it’s not hard to picture him letting loose and getting himself in hot water. Meanwhile, Vini Jr. immediately took to Instagram, doing the right thing and apologizing to “the team and the fans.” The Spanish Football Federation isn’t messing around with this stuff either. Article 130 states that hair-pulling is considered violent conduct, and the sanction is a ban of one to three games. That’s huge. Real Madrid has Sevilla, Barcelona, and Racing Santander on the schedule, and if Vini Jr. gets the max, he’s absolutely missing the massive El Clasico against Barcelona on October 25. Losing him for that rivalry game would be a gut punch.
Mourinho is expected to be back speaking on Tuesday as Real Madrid preps for their second Champions League match of the league phase. They’re traveling to Rome to face AS Roma on Wednesday at the Stadio Olimpico. This isn’t just any game for Mourinho, though. It’s his first time back at the Olimpico since getting sacked by the Giallorossi in January 2024. He left a real legacy there, guiding them to their first-ever UEFA trophy, winning the Conference League in 2022, and then taking them all the way to the Europa League final in 2023 before losing to Sevilla in a penalty shootout. This emotional return to face his old club is gonna be one of the most anticipated moments of this Champions League season. You know he’s going to have a lot to say then.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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