Quick Take | A dangerous self-goal
What José Mourinho meant as a side-pass resulted in volleys against him. When the self-anointed ‘Special One’ among coaches clumsily tried to defend his Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni, whom Real Madrid goalscorer Vinícius Júnior accused of racist abuse during a Champions League game, the giants of football accused Mourinho of abdicating his duty of care. The Brazilian forward stated that the Argentine midfielder had called him a ‘monkey’, a charge supported by other players like Kylian Mbappé. Rather than speaking out against racism, Mourinho lectured Vinícius on post-goal celebrations and cast aspersions on his charge. The other offence is of Benfica supporters making monkey gestures from the stands. The European football federation, which instituted an anti-racism policy in 2013, must take stern action on all three transgressions.