Mourinho: Presume innocence, but won’t back proven wrongdoing | OneFootball

José Mourinho addressed the conflict between Gianluca Prestianni and Vinícius Júnior and took a public stance. The Benfica coach called for caution but was clear: “If he is indeed guilty, I will not look at him the same way again, and with me, it's over.”

The coach avoided taking an automatic side. “I don't want to wear either the white jersey of Real Madrid or the red of Benfica,” he stated, referring to not defending his player by default nor attacking the opponent. He added: “If it is proven that my player did not respect these principles, his career with me is over.”

At the same time, he demanded that the presumption of innocence be respected. “I am not a lawyer, but I am not ignorant either. Is the presumption of innocence a human right or not?” he expressed, amid the Brazilian's accusation against the Argentine for an alleged racist act.

Mourinho also pointed out differences with Álvaro Arbeloa, although without breaking personal ties: he stated that his position was “balanced” and that it is not appropriate to defend by inertia or attack without evidence.

Finally, he dismissed leaving the club amid rumors linking him to Real Madrid. He assured that he wants to respect his contract with Benfica and that, if the club proposes, he is willing to renew.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.