Mourinho Defends Human Rights, Insists on Presumption of Innocence

José Mourinho has reaffirmed his firm stance against discrimination while addressing a situation involving one of his players, stressing the importance of human rights and due process.

Mourinho said he upholds the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and rejects any form of prejudice.

He noted that if it is proven that his player failed to respect those principles which he described as both his own and those of SL Benfica the player’s time under his leadership would come to an end.

The Portuguese coach emphasised the importance of the presumption of innocence, stating that he always approaches such matters with caution and places “a lot of ifs” before reaching conclusions.

Mourinho also expressed concern over the approach taken by UEFA, suggesting that the governing body chose to sideline the player without fully considering conditional factors.

He maintained, however, that should the player be found guilty, his position would change decisively.

“If the player is effectively guilty, I won’t look at him the same way again,” Mourinho said, reiterating that his current stance remains guided by fairness and due process.