José Mourinho has claimed that if he were Vinícius Júnior, he’d have left Real Madrid last summer, praising the forward’s mentality in trying to turn his situation at the club around.
Vinícius is currently serving a four-game ban in LaLiga after he reacted angrily to being red carded against Villarreal last Saturday, and then admitted to being unhappy at being substituted early in Madrid’s 4-3 comeback win at Roma in midweek.
The Brazil international — who was key to Madrid’s Champions League-winning teams in 2022 and 2024, making himself a Ballon d’Or contender — has endured a dip in form in recent seasons, being whistled by fans at the Bernabéu, but committed his long-term future to the club in August when he signed a new contract until 2032.
“If I were [Vinícius], in his place, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Mourinho said in a news conference on Saturday ahead of Madrid’s LaLiga game with Sevilla.
“Last summer I would have forced my exit to a league, to a country, to clubs and stadiums where they’d respect him. But because he’s a Madrid fan, he has love for the club and the city, he believes things can always improve, he renewed, and he’ll keep that smile. I think there’s nothing or no-one that can take that away, that joy for living and working. He’s a great boy.”
Asked to clarify his comments, Mourinho added: “When he signed that contract, he signed it because Madrid is his home, and Real Madrid is his home.
“He’s one of the main sources of joy in that dressing room. What I said before was that I doubt I’d be able — as a player with lots of options — I doubt whether I’d be able to have his psychological strength, to hold on.”
Mourinho substituted Vinícius after 59 minutes at Roma on Wednesday, with Madrid 3-1 down, and Vinicius having given the ball away for Roma’s second goal. Youngster Endrick replaced him and inspired a dramatic comeback win — scoring one goal and providing the assist for another — and was later named the player of the match.
“Vinícius had a very difficult game,” Mourinho admitted. “The guilty party above all was [Roma coach] Gasperini. They attacked us on one wing. They attacked only down their right, with [Matias] Soulé, Wesley, [Gianluca] Mancini, against [Marc] Cucurella and Vinícius.
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In the first half it’s hard as a coach to make changes of position, because information doesn’t arrive [to the players]. In the second half, Roma’s ability to attack on their right ended. What annoyed me [when Vinícius lost possession] was that the game was calm, with no problems for us to solve. We knew about their man-to-man pressing, and there, Vini had to keep the ball, or win a foul, but never do what he did. But that’s it. It’s OK.
“Right now the future of Vini is working more than those players who have to play every game. Without promising anything, I think on Wednesday [against RB Leipzig] he’ll start.”
Mourinho was asked about Madrid’s call for LaLiga president Javier Tebas to resign on Friday after he compared the club’s TV channel, Real Madrid TV, to “the propaganda techniques that [Nazi minister Joseph] Goebbels used.”
Mourinho said: “Don’t say that. I don’t want to talk about that. There are limits… I don’t want to go there. The fans understand, more all the time, what Real Madrid is up against. With the huge prestige that Spanish football has abroad, with the Federation having the current world champions, and LaLiga having the most important club in the world, it’s better that we keep this [story] here, and that it doesn’t travel overseas.”
Mourinho was also pressed on whether he’d make changes to Madrid’s midfield, where Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde have come in for criticism based on recent performances.
“I’m here to do what I think is best for the team,” Mourinho said. “The day will come when polls, or AI, pick the team. But until then, I think, coaches pick the team and take decisions… I think some people give opinions because they love football, and others because it’s their job, but I don’t think their opinions are worth more than mine as coach.”
