Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho says Vinicius Jr needs “great emotional control” after claiming the winger is being bullied on the pitch.

The 63‑year‑old’s comments come after the Brazilian picked up an avoidable yellow card in a 2‑1 La Liga opening win over Espanyol for an argument with midfielder Cala in the first half.

Vinicius Jr has been the target of regular abuse during his eight years at Real Madrid, including the night Mourinho was in the Benfica dugout when Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing the Brazilian – a claim the Argentine denied.

“I run the risk of you going back months and pulling out my words when I was an opponent of Vini Jr,” said Mourinho.

“Now Vini Jr is mine. Vini Jr is not a saint, but what they do to him is too much.”

Mourinho claims his star winger is being targeted by players to seek a reaction “from the first minute” and is “repeated” by all teams the Brazilian comes up against.

“It’s frustrating for him. He needs to have great emotional control,” he said.

After receiving the yellow card in Mourinho’s first competitive match of his second Real Madrid spell, the Portuguese told Vinicius Jr to consider how his actions on the pitch can ignite reactions in the stands.

“I spoke to him at half-time, and I even told him in detail: ‘If you score a goal, be careful how you celebrate it so I can keep you on the field.’ It’s tough,” he said.

“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.”