Jose Mourinho appeared to make fun of Vinicius Junior after the Real Madrid forward’s costly mistake shortly before being substituted during their 4-3 Champions League victory over Roma.
Real produced a stunning comeback at the Stadio Olimpico after trailing 3-1, with Carlos Espi, Endrick and Antonio Rudiger all finding the net during the final eight minutes of normal time in the second half.
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The teams went into the interval level at 1-1, but Roma struck twice in quick succession after the restart through Donyell Malen. Mourinho then made the unusual decision to take Vinicius off just a minute after Malen scored his second goal in the 57th minute.
Before Roma’s second goal, Vinicius surrendered possession while attempting to flick a pass from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois behind him and into space.
However, the Brazilian failed to make proper contact with the ball, losing possession in his own half. Roma quickly launched a counterattack, which ended with Malen scoring his first goal of the evening.
Aquí fue donde Mourinho decidió sacar a Vinicius, ahora le toca lidiar con su ego. pic.twitter.com/Gn0DvkWAji
— Rey Cantú (@reycantu21) October 14, 2026
Footage from the touchline appeared to show Mourinho mocking Vinicius shortly after the goal. The Portuguese coach lifted his heel and mimicked a flicking movement, seemingly questioning what the Real Madrid attacker had been attempting.
Vinicius was replaced by Endrick in the 59th minute, with the substitute going on to play a crucial part in Real’s comeback and claim UEFA’s Player of the Match award.
Earlier on the day of the match in Rome, La Liga confirmed that Vinicius would serve a four-match domestic suspension for pulling an opponent’s hair during Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday.
Reports had indicated that Real Madrid expected the Brazilian to receive a suspension of between two and three matches, which would have ruled him out of their upcoming El Clasico encounter against Barcelona.
However, the four-game ban means Vinicius will miss two additional domestic fixtures after the Barcelona clash. He is not expected to feature again for Real in domestic competition until after the next international break on November 22, when they face Celta Vigo at the Bernabeu.
Mourinho expressed his displeasure with the timing of the announcement, arguing that the suspension was revealed too close to kick-off in Rome. Reflecting on Vinicius’ mistake that led to a goal, he said: “Vini lost a ball he shouldn’t have lost. But that’s how it goes. I make mistakes too. It’s a shame that this happened just as he was growing and finding happiness again.”
Vinicius also explained his frustration at being substituted, telling reporters: “It’s only natural for me to be angry when I’m substituted, because I always want to play every minute, to be at my best and help the team, and today that wasn’t possible.
“In the end, the substitutions helped us. They changed the game. Endrick came on and did really well. He changed the momentum and scored a goal. He was the best player in the second half. And Carlos, who always comes on for a few minutes. They’re helping us a lot.”
