A 12 minute long answer. Present at a press conference on the eve of the Bundesliga match between his Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt, Vincent Kompany spoke at length about the controversy which marred the Benfica-Real Madrid match on Tuesday in the Champions League.
While UEFA opened an investigation following Vinicius’ accusations, who claims to have been treated as a monkey by Gianluca Prestianni, the Bavarian coach sided with the Brazilian international. “He had an emotional reaction and I see no advantage for him to go to the referee to take all the responsibility on his shoulders,” he said, while the Benfica player denies accusations of racism. “If it is true that (Prestianni) made these comments, I wish there was room for an apology. No one is perfect in this world. But everything always has to be black or white », he regretted.
“Do you know what black players had to endure in the 1960s? »
Above all, Kompany took advantage of his press conference to respond to José Mourinho, who had criticized the Real Madrid striker for his celebration. “He attacked Vinicius’ personality by pointing out his goal celebration. For me, it is a blatant error of leadership,” said the Belgian technician. The latter also did not appreciate the reference to Eusébio made by the “Special One” a few moments after the incident. “Benfica has Eusébio as its greatest legend, so it is not a racist club,” he said.
“Using his name today to support comments against Vinicius… Do you know what black players had to endure in the 60s? Was he there to accompany Eusébio during each trip and did he witness his difficulties? “, questioned the Bayern boss, before tempering his remarks and hoping for a positive outcome to the controversy.
“I don’t know anyone who can say bad things about José,” he explained. “I understand that he fights for his team and his club. It’s his choice. He’s a good person, and I’m not going to judge him. But he made a mistake. Hopefully this won’t happen again and we can learn from it. » One thing is certain: Mourinho’s next media outing will be closely scrutinized…
