‘You can never blame Victim,’ in Vinicius Jr racism row, Arbeloa slams Mourinho

Abdullateef Fowewe

Real Madrid coach and former defender, Álvaro Arbeloa has defended Vinícius Jr.‘s provocative goal celebration, calling out José Mourinho’s comments as “absolutely unacceptable” amid a racism storm following Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph over Benfica.

“Vini scored a golazo and celebrated just like many other players in the past,” Arbeloa said.

“All those players celebrated regardless of their skin colour. You can never blame the victim. Absolutely unacceptable.”

The backlash erupted after Real Madrid’s 1-0 win on February 18, where Vinícius Jr. unleashed a stunning golazo and danced tauntingly in front of Benfica’s furious fans.

The Brazilian star later reported racial slurs from the crowd, with Benfica’s teenage substitute Prestianni allegedly piling on post-match.

Mourinho, now Benfica’s manager, suggested the dance provoked the abuse, sparking gaslighting accusations from figures like Vincent Kompany.
Arbeloa’s intervention directly challenges Mourinho’s narrative, emphasising that such celebrations are football’s norm across all players.