What now for Vinicius Jr after Mourinho signs Real Madrid deal?

ByElizabeth Conway

Spanish football reporter

Jose Mourinho's return to Real Madrid was always going to get people talking. Among the many questions surrounding his reappointment, one stands out: How will he manage his relationship with Vinicius Junior?

It will be one of the most closely watched aspects of Mourinho's second spell in charge at the Bernabeu.

Mourinho has signed a three-year deal to return to Real, but the 63-year-old's contract will only be valid if current president Florentino Perez wins the presidential election on 7 June.

The Portuguese coach was at Benfica when they faced Real in the Champions League in February.

After the first leg of the knockout phase play-off, Mourinho faced criticism for comments he made about Vinicius Jr's behaviour. The Brazil forward had alleged that Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni had racially abused him. Prestianni strongly denied the accusation.

Mourinho will now coach not only one of the best talents in football, but also one of the most scrutinised players in the world.

He is a manager whose success has often been built on trust, loyalty and a connection with his players. But his relationship with Vinicius could become a defining narrative of his second spell in charge.

During February's Champions League match between Real Madrid and Benfica, Vinicius had put Real Madrid 1-0 up in the second half, before being booked for an excessive celebration where he danced around the corner flag.

Moments later, following an interaction with Prestianni, the Brazilian ran over to the referee while gesturing towards the Benfica winger.

The referee made the crossed arms gesture to signal a racist abuse report, activating Uefa's anti-racism protocol, and stopped play for almost 10 minutes as tensions escalated inside the stadium. Vinicius and some of his team-mates left the field.

A Real Madrid statement said Vinicius told the referee he had been racially abused by the Argentina winger - which Prestianni denied.

It led to Uefa suspending the Benfica player for the second leg while an investigation took place.

Prestianni was eventually handed a six-match ban, although not for racist abuse, as Uefa said there was insufficient evidence to prove the alleged remark.

Instead, the punishment related to a homophobic insult, which Prestianni admitted directing towards Vinicius.

Mourinho was seen speaking with Vinicius after he walked off the pitch following the interaction with Prestianni.

But it was Mourinho's post-match comments that were the most shocking.

While publicly backing his player Prestianni, Mourinho suggested Vinicius had incited tensions through his celebration in front of the home support.

"You score a goal from another world, why celebrate like that?" Mourinho said.

"The same thing always happens in so many stadiums. In how many states has this happened? In how many stadiums? How many? How many?

"He's an out of this world player, I love him. Vinicius tells me one thing and Prestianni tells me another. I want to be balanced."

The remarks sparked widespread criticism, with many accusing Mourinho of shifting attention away from the racism allegations and placing responsibility on the victim instead.

In addition to expressing his belief that Vinicius had been disrespectful with his goal celebration, he pointed to the club's legendary striker Eusebio as proof that Benfica are not a racist club.

Asked if he felt Vinicius incited the crowd, Mourinho said: "Yes. I believe so.

"It should be the crazy moment of the game, an amazing goal. Unfortunately [he was] not just happy to score that astonishing goal. When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way."

He added: "When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person in the history of this club [Eusebio] was black.

"This club, the last thing that it is, is racist. They [Vinicius and Prestianni] told me different things. But I don't believe in one or another. I want to be an independent."

Mourinho's comments were heavily criticised by global media.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf said at the time: "I think he [Mourinho] is still emotional. He's saying it's OK, when Vinicius provokes you, to be racist - and I think that is very wrong.

"We should never, ever justify racial abuse. Vinicius has had enough of that unjustified behaviour from people. I know Mourinho by heart would agree with me but he expressed himself a bit unfortunately."

Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott agreed, saying: "I love everything Jose Mourinho has done in football but he has made a poor decision. It was maybe the one time we shouldn't have heard from him, the one night he should not have been in front of the cameras."

Later that evening, Vinicius posted an Instagram statement condemning both the incident and the handling of it.

"Racists are, above all, cowards," he wrote. "They need to hide behind others to show how weak they are.

"Nothing that happened today is new in my life or my team's life."

Vinicius' Real Madrid future is uncertain, but there are strong signs he wants to stay.

Although his contract runs until 2027, renewal talks have reportedly slowed because of disagreements over wages and status within the club.

The 25-year-old is believed to want recognition as Los Blancos' top star financially, especially after carrying the team for years before the arrival of Kylian Mbappe.

Real Madrid, however, are traditionally strict about maintaining their salary structure under president Florentino Perez.

Despite this tension, Vinicius has publicly described Madrid as "the club of my dreams" and said he hopes to remain there "for many years".

A successful World Cup in Brazil this summer could strengthen his team's negotiating position with Real Madrid.

Ultimately, the relationship between Vinicius and Mourinho could prove decisive in shaping his long-term future.

A strong relationship, a clear shared vision, and unwavering support, particularly in the face of any future racism allegations or incidents, may be key to convincing the Brazilian star to extend his stay beyond 2027.

With expectations high both on and off the pitch, next season will play a defining role in determining whether Vinicius commits his future to the club.