Former Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri has launched a scathing verbal counter-attack against Benfica manager Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese coach criticized Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior for his goal celebration on Tuesday. The tension follows a volatile Champions League playoff at the Estadio da Luz, where Vinícius netted a spectacular second-half winner before celebrating near the home supporters. Mourinho expressed his disapproval of the Brazilian’s exuberance, suggesting that players should simply return to their half after scoring, despite the match being marred by an 11-minute suspension due to alleged racial abuse directed at Vinícius.
Nasri, acting as a pundit for French television, reminded the “Special One” of his own history of flamboyant touchline antics. He specifically referenced Mourinho’s legendary 2004 dash down the Old Trafford sidelines—a celebration Nasri likened to the iconic style of Thierry Henry—to highlight what he views as managerial hypocrisy. The Frenchman argued that a player who has endured constant whistling and hostility, like Vinícius, earns the right to celebrate a decisive goal in a high-stakes European knockout fixture.
“Vinicius is being whistled. He scores a really good goal and gets to celebrate. Mourinho ran laps around a pitch. Once, he slid on his knees for 20 meters. He thought he was Thierry Henry as he celebrated. You [Mourinho] don’t have the right to say that,” Nasri stated during his analysis.
The controversy stems from the 52nd minute of Tuesday’s clash when Vinícius curled a brilliant shot into the top corner. During the subsequent celebrations, Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni allegedly directed a racial slur at the winger, an incident currently under UEFA investigation. While Mourinho acknowledged the severity of the racism claims, he simultaneously accused Vinícius of inciting the Lisbon crowd. Mourinho defended his club’s reputation by invoking the memory of Eusébio, yet his comments regarding Vinícius’s “provocative” behavior have drawn widespread criticism from anti-discrimination groups and fellow professionals alike.
“I told him (Vinicius): ‘When you score a goal like that, you just celebrate and walk back.’ But (Vinícius and Prestianni) said something else. But I don’t believe in one or the other. I want to be independent,” Mourinho told Amazon Prime following the 1-0 defeat.
As Real Madrid prepares to host the return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, February 25, the war of words between Nasri and Mourinho adds another layer of intrigue to an already explosive rivalry. Real Madrid has already submitted video evidence to UEFA to support Vinícius’s claims, while Benfica maintains that the Brazilian misunderstood a “standard provocation.” With the eyes of the footballing world on the Spanish capital, the pressure remains on Mourinho to manage both his team’s performance and his public rhetoric in a deeply sensitive environment.
