Mourinho: ‘Becoming increasingly difficult to hear anything positive about Madrid’
Video credit: SNTV
Mourinho has some equally significant issues to sort out before then – none more so than the off-field actions of Kylian Mbappe.
“Anybody should have advised him; ‘you can do this, you’re allowed to, but don’t. You shouldn’t’. It looks very, very bad,” said TNT Sports’ Spanish football expert Phil Kitromilides at the time.
But in the following days, Mbappe was pictured entering a Paris nightclub with Exposito, and then posted a video to his Instagram of him cycling, an activity that Mourinho had said just last week was expressly banned among his players.
Benfica head coach Jose Mourinho speaks with Real Madrid player Kylian Mbappe during the UEFA Champions League match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, on February 17, 2026.
Image credit: Getty Images
If the relationship between Mourinho and Mbappe seems secure for now, there have been rumours of tension between Mbappe and the wider Madrid hierarchy, with the Frenchman – according to Radio Marca – purportedly “angry” at the club for not supporting his Ballon d’Or case.
Vinicius struggling with World Cup heartbreak
If Mbappe can’t be questioned for his output on the pitch – with eight goals in nine games this season, and two assists – then that is not the case for fellow forward Vinicius Junior, whose poor form is giving Mourinho another problem to solve.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/09/08/image-f5766aac-4f12-4c93-9238-3c255cab66fb-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Highlights: Mbappe and Valverde on target as Madrid hang on to beat Inter
Video credit: TNT Sports
During the international break, Vinicius opened up on the reasons behind his struggles, after scoring from the spot against Australia after Bruno Guimaraes had generously given him the ball.
“Bruno Guimaraes is our penalty-taker when Raphinha isn’t playing, and I thought he’d want to take it, but he knows that I need a bit of confidence right now, in this moment,” Vinicius said.
“My team-mates know I need some confidence now. Losing a World Cup is hard and difficult to accept, and the comeback is never easy.”
His sending-off could mean he misses at least two La Liga games, including the Clasico, but at least Mourinho can count on emerging star Yan Diomande as a possible replacement, with the Ivorian scoring the winner on Saturday.
A critical period looms
With such a vital run of fixtures ahead, Mourinho will be under the microscope more than ever in the next few weeks.
He described his departure as “unexpected and unfair”, having led the Giallorossi to their first-ever European title – the UEFA Conference League in 2022 – and their first trophy of any kind since 2008.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/01/17/3865254-78538008-2560-1440.jpg)
Red cards, Euro glory, and throwing away medals – Watch Mourinho’s Roma highlights
Video credit: TNT Sports
But he will hope the Eternal City provides a rebirth for his Madrid side as they bounce into three huge games in the space of seven days – the tie with Leipzig, a home La Liga clash with high-flying Sevilla, and then the Clasico at Camp Nou.
The results in those games will say much about whether Mourinho’s Madrid can compete with the elite, or whether another barren season is already looming.
