McCarthy, who won the Champions League with Mourinho at Porto in 2004, said the Portuguese made a 'mistake' with his remarks after Vinicius was booked for celebrating his goal in Real Madrid's 1-0 win against Benfica. The match was halted when Vinicius reported alleged racist abuse from Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni, with Uefa now investigating the claims which Prestianni denies.
The Brazil international later posted on Instagram: 'Racists are, above all, cowards,' while Benfica defended Prestianni, claiming a 'defamation campaign' against the Argentine who could face a minimum 10-match ban if found guilty.