Vinícius, Mourinho and treating racism as reputational risk rather than a lived reality

February 18, 2026

TL;DR

José Mourinho's comments regarding the Vinícius Júnior racism incident are criticized for prioritizing the club's reputation over the lived reality of racism.
The article suggests a pattern in football where racism is treated as a reputational risk rather than a serious issue impacting players.
The author believes Vinícius Júnior when he claims he was racially abused, dismissing alternative explanations as nonsensical.
Vinícius Júnior was booked for celebrating a goal, while the alleged racist player faced no tangible punishment at the time of writing.
The article draws parallels between Mourinho's comments and those of Jim Ratcliffe, highlighting a tendency to demand 'perfect victims' from marginalized groups.
The historical context of Eusébio's integration into Portuguese society under a dictatorship is used to illustrate how individuals are tolerated as long as they conform.
The piece questions football's commitment to fighting racism, suggesting it may be seen as an inconvenience or a distraction from the business model.

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