Kompany attacks Mourinho over Vinicius Jr incident: ‘Do you know what… — and more

Vincent Kompany has issued strong criticism of Jose Mourinho over his reaction to Vinicius Jr’s accusation of alleged racist abuse in a Champions League play-off between Benfica and Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Kompany, the Bayern Munich manager, used a press conference to give an impassioned speech which drew on his own experiences of racism in football, and said Mourinho had made a “huge mistake” by “attacking the character” of Vinicius in the aftermath.

Vinicius accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, a 20-year-old Argentina international, of calling him a “monkey” in the wake of the Brazilian’s second-half goal for Madrid. The claims were backed up by his teammate Kylian Mbappe, who said he heard the abuse by Prestianni, who could be seen holding his shirt over his mouth during an exchange with Madrid players.

Vinicius reacted furiously to something said by Prestianni and alerted the match officials. The French referee, Francois Letexier, paused the game for 11 minutes after activating Fifa’s anti-racism protocols, although the action later continued with Prestianni on the field.

Fans inside the Estadio Da Luz loudly booed and jeered Vinicius throughout the remainder of the game, as Real Madrid saw out a 1-0 victory.

Prestianni now faces an investigation by Uefa. He has denied racially abusing Vinicius and claimed to have been misheard.

After the match, Benfica manager Mourinho blamed Vinicius for the confrontation and said the Brazilian had incited his players because he did not celebrate in a “respectful way”. Mourinho also claimed Benfica could not be considered guilty of racism because the club’s greatest player, Eusebio, was Black.

“I told him that when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back,” Mourinho said, of his conversation with Vinicius after the game. “And then when he was arguing about racism I told him the biggest person in the history of this club [Eusebio] was Black. This club, the last thing it is is racist, so if in his mind it was something in relation to that, this is Benfica.

“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. Every stadium that Vinicius plays, something happens. Always.”

Bayern Munich manager Kompany was asked for his take on the incident ahead of his team’s weekend game in the Bundesliga, and he responded with a long answer in which he defended Vinicius and tore into Mourinho’s response.

“When you watch the action itself and how Vini reacted, that reaction cannot be faked,” Kompany said. “You can see it was an emotional reaction. I don’t see any benefit for him to go to the referee and put all this misery on his shoulders. In that moment he saw that it was the right thing to do.

“Kylian Mbappe normally always stays diplomatic, but he was very clear about what he saw and heard. Then there’s the Benfica player who was hiding what he was saying in his shirt. In the stadium you can see there were people [Benfica fans] doing monkey signs, it’s in the video.

“And for me, what happened after the game is even worse. Jose Mourinho has basically attacked the character of Vini Jr by bringing in the type of Vini’s celebration to discredit what he was doing at that moment. It was a huge mistake in terms of leadership.

“On top of that, Mourinho mentioned the name of Eusebio. He said Benfica cannot be racist because their best ever player was Eusebio. Do you know what Black players had to go through in the 60s? Was he there to travel with Eusebio every away game and see what he went through?”

Kompany said Mourinho has a positive reputation in the game and is “deep down a good person”, but suggested the Benfica manager had made a serious misjudgement with his reaction.

“I met 100 people who worked with Jose Mourinho. I’ve never heard someone say something bad about Jose. All his players love him. I understand the person he is, I understand he fights for his club. I know deep down he’s a good person. I don’t need to judge him on that. But I also know what I’ve heard. I understand what he’s done, but he made a mistake. Hopefully it won’t happen again in the future, and we can move on together.”

Timing is everything in the NFL market right now. The league is regularly seeing $25 million per year per team salary cap increases (roughly $800 million in cap increases league-wide). Clubs are also spending an average of 10 percent over the salary cap in cash spending for players, which is only compounding on top of those $25 million per year increases. The new meta is to lock in the players you’re confident in keeping to long-term deals as quickly as possible, before prices continue to rise. The leaders on this front are the Philadelphia Eagles, who have been executing this “pay early and lock in prices” plan for the last five or so years.

One of the Green Bay Packers’ biggest priorities this offseason should be to get a long-term deal done with receiver Christian Watson, who is eligible to earn an extension, despite recently signing a one-year extension, because of the unique structure of his deal. If the Packers are going to pay him long-term, they should make it a priority to get his contract signed before Alec Pierce signs a multi-year deal.

Here’s why.

First of all, Pierce is the sixth-best free agent in 2026, according to the consensus. If he doesn’t get a deal done with his Indianapolis Colts, he will be one of the hottest names on the open market and will almost certainly be the subject of a bidding war. If he does re-sign with the Colts, though, it would probably take a massive deal to get him to opt out of being the subject of a bidding war. Either way, he’s going to get paid very soon.

The biggest benefit that the Packers have right now is that Watson is still a year away from free agency, meaning that it’s on Watson to take on the risk of his 2026 performance, should an injury pop up or something along those lines. That’s one reason why Watson and Watson’s camp would probably like to get a deal done in 2026, not 2027. On Green Bay’s end, they probably want to get a deal done before the salary cap jumps up again in 2027 or Pierce potentially resets the market for a player of Watson’s talent.

Stylistically, it’s hard to find a better comp for Watson than Pierce. They’re both long, vertical receivers who produced best at the end of their rookie contracts and were both drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft. The comparisons are so similar that if negotiations happen between the Packers and Watson after the Pierce contract is inked, both sides will probably accept that Watson will be getting something close to a copy-paste job of Pierce’s deal, be it with Green Bay or elsewhere (if the Packers don’t have the stomach to pay it).

Below are the average per year (APY) of the top 22 receivers in the NFL under 30 years old, which is relevant because age is very much a factor for payment in the league:

• Ja’Marr Chase: $40,250,000
• Justin Jefferson: $35,000,000
• CeeDee Lamb: $34,000,000
• D.K. Metcalf: $32,999,882
• Garrett Wilson: $32,500,000
• A.J. Brown: $32,000,000
• Amon-Ra St. Brown: $30,002,500
• Brandon Aiyuk: $30,000,000
• Tee Higgins: $28,750,000
• Jaylen Waddle: $28,250,000
• D.J. Moore: $27,500,000
• Jameson Williams: $26,666,667
• DeVonta Smith: $25,000,000
• Nico Collins: $24,250,000
• Michael Pittman, Jr.: $23,333,333
• Jerry Jeudy: $17,500,000
• Khalil Shakir: $13,250,000
• Darnell Mooney: $13,000,000
• Rashod Bateman: $12,250,000
• Darius Slayton: $12,000,000
• Travis Hunter: $11,662,278
• Christian Watson: $11,000,000

There are not that many players making between Travis Hunter’s rookie contract APY and the $23 million per year right now — and there’s only one sub-30-year-old receiver between the $23.3 million and $13.25 million range, if you can believe it. Watson is already making an $11 million APY, which was the number negotiated when he still coming off his ACL tear. His APY will almost certainly increase after his 2025 performance.

Right now, the Packers might be able to negotiate this Watson contract between the massive gap between $23.3 million and $13.25 million per year. If Pierce, a similar player to Watson, hits the open market and signs, though, that option probably goes out the window, as the Pierce contract will inform both sides of what Watson’s market could be in 2027. That’s why timing is incredibly important for this extension, specifically. Green Bay has other deals they probably want to get done this offseason, notably Tucker Kraft, Devonte Wyatt and probably Lukas Van Ness, but this is the one potential extension where timing is a premium factor, because of the gaps in the receiver market and a player proxy (Pierce for Watson) expected to be on the market.

For what it’s worth, Spotrac, which has some really conservative estimates this year, expects Pierce to sign a $20.2 million per year deal this offseason. I’m going to guess that he’ll get similar to Jameson Williams, another speedster who is Detroit’s number two option and received $26.7 million per on his second contract in the league. Like Pierce and Watson, Williams was also drafted in the 2022 class.

Here’s how the receiver trio’s career stats have stack up:

• Williams: 148 receptions for 2,513 yards and 17 touchdowns
• Pierce: 157 receptions for 2,934 yards and 17 touchdowns
• Watson: 133 receptions for 2,264 yards and 20 touchdowns

It’s just a smart idea for Green Bay to get this contract done with Watson as soon as possible. The team shouldn’t wait for Pierce to get a Williams-like deal or get hit with the $28.8 million franchise tag this offseason.

Ten days remain in the regular season for women’s college basketball power conferences and most teams in Division I. The SEC, Big Ten, Big East and ACC don’t have much drama at the top of their standings, but a great deal remains at stake regarding the NCAA Tournament.

Here are a few games to keep track of as the regular season closes out and Selection Sunday gets closer:

(All times ET, Stats through Wednesday)

Sunday, Feb. 22

Michigan at Iowa, noon on FOX

Michigan has an outside chance at a No. 1 seed if Vanderbilt and Texas stumble *and* if the Wolverines win out. That task is easier said than done. Michigan finishes the season against Iowa, Ohio State and Maryland, all of whom are currently top-16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. We’re highlighting the matchup against the Hawkeyes because the Wolverines haven’t beaten Iowa in four seasons, and the Hawkeyes boast the interior presence of Ava Heiden, which could give guard-heavy Michigan some difficulty, especially in Carver-Hawkeye Arena’s boisterous environment. Iowa is likely solidified as a hosting team if it cleans up against the rest of its schedule, but playing spoiler to another Big Ten team is always a plus.

Kentucky at Vanderbilt, 4 p.m. on ESPN 2

The SEC is another conference that has a leader who will be difficult to dethrone over the final stretch of the season. Yet, like Michigan, Vanderbilt is fighting for a No. 1 seed. The Commodores also have several opportunities to beef up their resume with games remaining against Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee — all ranked opponents. Vanderbilt’s 84-83 win over the Wildcats at Kentucky earlier this month was one of the top games this season, headlined by Mikayla Blakes’ 37 points. The Wildcats will have revenge on their minds as well as the opportunity to enter into the hosting conversation with a marquee win. Kentucky is 16th in the NET and just beat Ole Miss, which was ranked 15th in the selection committee’s first reveal.

Another top 20 win for the Cats!! 😼 pic.twitter.com/ScZdXPITwG

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) February 15, 2026

Wednesday, Feb. 25

Rhode Island at Richmond, 6 p.m. on ESPN+

The Spiders, mid-season darlings last season, have slipped up a bit in Atlantic 10 play this season but still have a chance to punch their third straight ticket to the Big Dance, even without needing to win the conference tournament to earn an automatic qualifier bid. They’re 42nd in the NET and would greatly benefit from a victory over Rhode Island, the team atop the A-10 standings, while a win for the Rams would secure them the outright conference title. Senior Maggie Doogan is on the outside looking in for the first-round WNBA Draft conversation, and she could use some more tape against power-conference opponents after dropping 57 points, 21 rebounds and 13 assists against Georgia Tech and UCLA in the 2025 tournament.

Sunday, March 1

Duke at North Carolina, noon on ESPN

The first matchup between the Tobacco Road rivals lived up to the billing, featuring productive (gasp!) offenses and 16 lead changes as the Tar Heels almost pulled off the road upset. Ranked 19th in the NET, North Carolina could vault into the top 16 and host for the second consecutive season with a win over top-10 Duke. The ACC title could still be in the balance on the final day of the season, though the Blue Devils would own the tiebreaker over Louisville if the two teams finish with one loss.

Duke is also pursuing the first undefeated ACC season since Notre Dame in 2015-16. It would be the fourth undefeated conference campaign in program history, and the first for the Blue Devils since 2006-07, when they finished the regular season without a loss behind national player of the year Lindsey Harding.

Ohio State at Michigan State, noon on BTN

The Buckeyes appeared to be cruising toward a hosting spot, but have lost their last two games and still have Michigan and Michigan State on the docket. The Spartans are also on the hosting bubble. This could very well be a play-in game for the right to stay home for the first weekend of the tournament. If either team slips, keep an eye on Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are fourth in the Big Ten, ahead of Ohio State and Michigan State, and eighth in the NET. They just beat the Buckeyes and face the Spartans on Feb. 22.

Baylor at TCU, 4 p.m. on ESPN

Four teams sit one loss of each other at the top of the Big 12 standings, but this is the only game remaining between those four teams until the end of the regular season; Texas Tech and West Virginia end their seasons against three unranked opponents. The Bears have been mostly noncompetitive in their last three ranked matchups, including a somewhat shocking 31-point defeat to the Red Raiders, but they have a chance to shake up the Big 12 title race with a win against TCU. The Horned Frogs are probably in a good position to host regardless of a win or loss. Nevertheless, an outright Big 12 championship still means something, especially considering TCU could barely field a full lineup at this point two years ago.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Michigan State Spartans, Duke Blue Devils, Ohio State Buckeyes, Baylor Bears, North Carolina Tar Heels, Iowa Hawkeyes, TCU Horned Frogs, Michigan Wolverines, Women's College Basketball

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Even in one of its sloppiest performances in some time, No. 2 Maryland men’s lacrosse remained competitive against No. 1 Syracuse. The Terps hung around in the second half of a game that could have easily gotten out of hand.

The Orange had a devastating run, scoring five unanswered goals across the first and second quarters. Maryland hadn’t had much possession to change things, having lost nine of the first 10 faceoffs. However, a pair of scores from Elijah Stobaugh gave the Terps some life heading into the break.

And Tillman made an adjustment that ultimately changed the tide of the game. With Henry Dodge exclusively taking the faceoffs, Maryland won 10 of the next 11 bouts at the X. Those extra possessions allowed the Terps to shrink their deficit to just one goal early in the fourth quarter.

But without dominant efforts from its attacking stars — Leo Johnson, Chris Lyons and Eric Spanos combined for only four goals — Maryland fell short, 11-9. The Terps failed to score over the final 13 minutes and finished with 15 turnovers, five of which came in the final period.

The road ahead doesn’t get much easier, with a pair of ranked opponents looming. That starts with No. 12 Princeton on Saturday. The top-15 clash starts at noon and will air on Big Ten Plus.

No. 12 Princeton Tigers (0-1, 0-0 Ivy League)

2025 record: 13-4, 5-1 Ivy League

With nearly a decade of experience under his belt, head coach Matt Madalon has transformed Princeton into a perennial powerhouse. The Tigers have four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four trip in 2022. He’s built a strong resume in one of the top conferences. 

While Princeton fell short of a national championship last season, an eight-game winning streak culminated in the program’s highest win total since 2009. However, the Tigers crashed out in the quarterfinals after blowing a late lead against No. 6-seed Syracuse.

The departure of Princeton’s leading goalscorer last season, Coulter Mackesy, crippled it in its season opener. The Tigers produced its lowest goal output in three seasons and conceded seven first-quarter goals en route to a 13-7 home loss to No. 10 Penn State.

Players to know

Ryan Croddick, senior goalkeeper, No. 26 — In his first season as the starter, Croddick was exceptional between the pipes. The Ivy League Goalkeeper of the Year finished with the third-most saves (14.2) and the ninth-best save percentage (56.6%) in the nation. Despite facing 23 shots against Penn State on Saturday, Croddick totaled 10 stops.

Nate Kabiri, junior attacker, No. 2 — The Virginia native is Princeton’s do-it-all offensive weapon. Kabiri assumed the facilitator role last season, dishing out a team-high 29 assists. But the All-Ivy League second-teamer is ruthless with his own looks. Kabiri still finished with 32 goals and had a trio of four-goal performances.

Without Mackesy to shoulder some of the scoring load, the pressure will be on Kabiri to run the Tigers’ attack this season. While he scored twice and had an assist in the season opener, Princeton’s supporting cast failed to show up.

Colin Burns, junior attacker, No. 0 — From high school teammates to Princeton, Burns and Kabiri have formed a powerful one-two attacking punch. As part of the Tigers’ third-ranked 2023 recruiting class, Burns has exceeded expectations in his first two seasons. He has totaled 53 goals and 26 assists but is likely to take on an increased role this year.

Strength

Goalscorers. While Princeton doesn’t have many creators outside of Kabiri, it’s got no shortage of attacking options. The Tigers return four of their top five scorers from last season, and each eclipsed 20 goals. Midfielders Chad Palumbo and Tucker Wade had another layer to Princeton’s versatile offense. After a disappointing performance, the Tigers will be fired up on Saturday.

Weakness

Defensive pressure. Princeton found itself in loads of high-scoring games last season amid a strong year from Croddick. That was largely due to defensive lapses. The Tigers allowed 42.7 shots per game, putting Croddick under heavy fire. With so much opposing traffic, Croddick could only do so much.

Three things to watch

1. Faceoff battle. When Princeton’s offense gets in a rhythm, it’s because of Andrew McMeekin. The Tigers’ faceoff specialist has the potential to take over games and keep opponents pinned in their own half. Dodge will need to be sharp early to help Maryland avoid an insurmountable deficit.

2. Recent dominance. The Terps and Princeton have faced each other 50 times, but the all-time series is not close. Maryland has won the previous nine meetings, including a season sweep in 2022 and 2024. With Saturday being the Terps’ first outdoor game, a packed home crowd should give them a much-needed jolt.

3. Complete offensive performance. Even with a 19-goal output in its season opener, Maryland’s offense still hasn’t shown its full potential. The Terps have yet to get Johnson, Lyons, Spanos and Braden Erksa on the same page. If Maryland gets a strong outing from those four, the result should be one that puts it back in the win column.