Mourinho slams timing of Vinicius suspension announcement two hours before Real Madrid-Roma

Real Madrid overturned AS Roma 4-3 on Wednesday evening at the Olimpico, but it was José Mourinho’s anger at La Liga that dominated the aftermath. The Portuguese manager strongly criticized the timing of the disciplinary commission, which notified Vinicius Jr of his four-match suspension — following an incident against Nathan Saliba of Villarreal — just two hours before kick-off.

On the pitch, Merengue struggled for long stretches. Trailing 3-1 entering the final ten minutes, they scored three goals from corners in seven minutes to snatch victory, with Kylian Mbappé having already reduced the deficit in the first half. “It’s a very important win, that’s 6 points against very difficult opponents. We’re in a good position,” Mourinho acknowledged, praising his players’ reaction.

But it was the sanction handed to Vinicius that prompted the manager to raise his voice. “Why not do it tomorrow morning, but rather two hours before an important match for Real Madrid? A Spanish club,” he said first. In his press conference, he continued: “It’s not normal that Vinicius learns of his suspension two hours before this match. They want to kill a player two hours before a game. Couldn’t they announce it tomorrow morning?”

Mourinho concluded with a vivid image: “In Portuguese, there’s an expression: the cat is hidden with its tail sticking out. It seems to me that now the cat is no longer hidden, it’s walking around freely. Now, we do things without shame.” Real Madrid now has six points from two Ligue des Champions matches, but will have to manage without their Brazilian winger for upcoming fixtures.