Ferdinand Backs Mourinho Over Vinicius Racism Controversy: 'Not a Racist Bone in His Body'

Rio Ferdinand has stepped into the fray surrounding Jose Mourinho's response to the Vinicius Junior racism incident, offering a spirited defence of the Benfica manager despite widespread criticism of his handling of the matter.

The controversy erupted during Real Madrid's 1-0 Champions League play-off victory over Benfica on 17 February 2026, when Vinicius scored the decisive goal in the 51st minute. His celebratory dance by the corner flag drew an angry response from the home support, before Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni allegedly hurled a racial slur at the Brazilian winger as the teams prepared for the restart. With his mouth covered by his shirt, Prestianni evaded immediate sanction despite the racism protocol being triggered.

Mourinho's post-match comments proved controversial. Rather than unequivocally condemning the alleged abuse, the Portuguese boss suggested Vinicius bore some responsibility, urging him to celebrate "in a respectful way" and implying the winger had incited the crowd. Mourinho also claimed both players had given him conflicting accounts and that he preferred to remain neutral on the matter.

UEFA subsequently announced that Prestianni would miss Benfica's second-leg fixture on Wednesday night, pending the completion of their investigation into allegations of discriminatory behaviour. The provisional suspension came via a statement from the Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.

Ferdinand, however, believes Mourinho deserves the benefit of the doubt. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Manchester United icon insisted that the former Chelsea manager's track record with black players across the globe speaks volumes about his character. "He hasn't got a racist bone in his body," Ferdinand stated, though he did concede that Mourinho may have misjudged his approach to the specific situation.

"I think Jose, in time, will sit there and go, 'Maybe I approached that wrong,'" Ferdinand reflected. "I'd love to hear what his thoughts are on it now, actually, since all of it spilled over from those comments."