Real Madrid News
Oviedo president confirms police found no evidence of alleged racist shouts at Real Madrid star
Real Oviedo president Martin Pelaez has spoken publicly about the ongoing investigation into alleged racist chants directed at Vinicius Jr. during the match against Real Madrid.
According to Pelaez, the police “have not found anything” to confirm the claims.
“The police continue to investigate him, and as soon as we have the result or if we find any indication, we will punish him.
“We are sure of the behaviour of our fans, the Tartiere and our people have always been up to the task, and that day was no exception.
“If nothing has come out at this point, it is good news, because if there had been something, it would already be known,” said Pelaez in front of the media.
Police yet to confirm evidence
The controversy began at the end of August when footage of alleged monkey chants emerged from the stands.
These were reportedly directed first at Kylian Mbappe after his goal in the 37th minute, and later at Vinicius Jr. when he came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute.
Following the broadcast, Pelaez stated that Real Oviedo “is against any act of racism” and promised that if the police uncovered evidence, “Real Oviedo would punish him.”
La Liga later filed an official report noting racist chants aimed at Vinicius during the game at the Carlos Tartiere.
However, despite the initial reports, the police investigation has so far produced no conclusive results.
Pelaez stressed that this should be viewed as positive news for the club, as any wrongdoing would have already been identified by now.
The matter remains under review, but with no findings at this stage, Real Oviedo continue to stand by their fans, insisting that the atmosphere at their stadium was respectful.
Source: SPORT
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
