Kompany was also critical of Mourinho for using Eusebio’s name as supposed proof that Benfica is not a racist club.

“Do you know what black players had to go through in the 1960s?” added the former Manchester City captain and Burnley boss.

“Was he (Mourinho) there to travel with Eusebio to every away game?

“Probably at the time the only option they had was to be quiet, to say nothing, be above it and to be 10 times better in order to get a little bit of credit for people to say ‘actually, he is good’.

“That was Eusebio’s life.”

Kompany, who also spoke about racial abuse he experienced as a player, said talk of Vinicius’ celebration should not distract from the player’s immediate response to Prestianni’s alleged remarks.

“I’m just thinking when Jose Mourinho is doing the knee slide at Old Trafford, when he does his celebration in front of the [Barcelona] fans in the Champions League semi-final with Inter Milan, when his Roma are playing Sevilla and he is fighting with the referee and the referee has to leave the country under protection,” he added.

“I know one hundred people who have worked with Jose Mourinho. I’ve never heard a person say anything bad about Jose.

“I understand he is fighting for his team and his club. You cannot be a bad person and have all the ex players you have had talk so positively about you.

“I don’t need to judge him as a person but I know what I’ve heard. And I understand maybe what he has done, but he has made a mistake.”