Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho emphasizes the importance of Vinicius Jr demonstrating "great emotional control" in light of the bullying the winger endures on the pitch. This statement follows Vinicius Jr receiving an avoidable yellow card during Real Madrid's 2-1 La Liga victory over Espanyol on the opening day, stemming from a dispute with midfielder Cala.

The Brazilian has faced consistent abuse throughout his eight-year tenure at Real Madrid, a troubling pattern that includes an incident from Mourinho's past when Gianluca Prestianni allegedly racially abused him, a claim the Argentine denied. Mourinho remarked, "I run the risk of you going back months and pulling out my words when I was an opponent of Vini Jr. Now Vini Jr is mine. Vini Jr is not a saint, but what they do to him is too much."

According to Mourinho, Vinicius Jr is targeted from the outset of games, with opponents attempting to provoke him, a trend that has been evident in all matches he participates in.

It's frustrating for him. He needs to have great emotional control,

• After the yellow card incident, he advised Vinicius Jr to be mindful of his behavior, especially during goal celebrations, to avoid further provocations.

Mourinho highlighted the ongoing struggle against bullying, stating, "We're in a social era of anti-bullying. With Vini Jr, we're still in the bullying era, whether it's from opponents or the crowd. We need to educate him as much as possible and prepare him as much as possible. And that's it."