'He can control it better': Jose Mourinho defends Vinicius Junior, urges referees to protect players

Jose Mourinho has come to the defence of Vinicius Junior , saying the Real Madrid forward is being unfairly targeted by opponents and fans, while acknowledging that the Brazilian can improve how he reacts to provocation.

Vinicius was involved in several incidents with opposing players and supporters during Real Madrid's opening La Liga match against Espanyol on Saturday. With Madrid preparing to host Real Sociedad on Wednesday, Mourinho said there were two aspects to the issue — Vinicius' response to fans and his reactions during matches.