A Spanish press report on Monday revealed a private conversation between Real Madrid’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho and the team’s Brazilian star, Vinicius Junior.

Mourinho didn’t stop at defending the Brazilian publicly after the Espanyol match in La Liga. He also spoke to him privately to deliver a clear message.

Real Madrid recently renewed the Brazilian’s contract, and though he has barely started working with Mourinho in this new phase, he already knows the manager stands beside him as an impenetrable shield.

According to the newspaper “Marca“, Vinicius did not give his best. Too focused on the clashes with opponents, he picked up a yellow card and fell into a pattern that Mourinho wants to help him control.

The modest performance does not change the manager’s assessment, especially after just one match. Mourinho also realises that Vinicius needs to feel supported as he finds himself under severe pressure once again.

Relentless. That was the barrage of jeers, whistles and insults he received during the Espanyol match, and the manager did not want to miss the chance to defend his player publicly.

A protective shield and a private conversation

Mourinho said: “Vini is not an angel, but what they do to him is exaggerated.”

He went further, denouncing a situation that, in his view, recurs with the Brazilian player: “It has become a repeated pattern among opponents. First I commit a foul against him, then you commit a foul against him, then I commit a foul against him, then you commit a foul against him. If I get a yellow card, you commit a foul against him. I leave the pitch with a yellow card, then another player comes on without a yellow card and commits a foul against him. It is frustrating for the player.”

The Portuguese also spoke about the “bullying” from the stands and from opponents: “We live in a social era that is anti-bullying, but with Vini, we still suffer from bullying by opponents and fans.”

This was not a defence aimed at justifying everything the Brazilian does. Mourinho knows that Vinicius needs to control his emotions and avoid letting provocations distract him from the match. But demanding that he improve in this respect is one thing. Questioning his importance is another matter entirely.

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Mourinho does not doubt Vinicius’s abilities, and he wanted the player to know that privately too.

Following the criticism that came after the opening match of the league, the manager spoke with Vinicius to reassure him and restore his self-confidence. He told him that he was with him and would always remain so.

Vinicius, a key pillar at Real Madrid

For Mourinho, Vinicius is a key pillar of the team he is building, because he needs players capable of turning the course of matches. Wingers who are not afraid to receive the ball on the flanks, dribble past defenders, attack the full-back, and force the entire defence to retreat.

Vinicius fits this description perfectly. His movements open up spaces for Mbappe, Bellingham, and the rest of the attackers, and his ability to play in open spaces turns any recovery of the ball into a genuine threat.

Something else earns Mourinho’s particular admiration: character. The Portuguese manager wants a Real Madrid that is competitive, attacking, and ambitious. A team that is not satisfied with little. He sees Vinicius embodying a large part of these qualities. His character, his passion, his ability to shoulder responsibility, and his obsession with the decisive moment are all traits that Mourinho intends to develop, not suppress.

For this reason, the manager does not consider Vinicius’s performance in his first match a cause for concern, but quite the opposite. He knows the season has only just begun, that the Brazilian still has room to develop physically, and that his performance will improve as his playing time, self-confidence, and understanding with his teammates increase.

For Mourinho, the question is not whether Vinicius will be an important addition, but rather how far he can develop him.

Maximising his players’ strengths and helping them reach a higher level is precisely one of the Portuguese manager’s main goals this season. And with Vinicius, the challenge looks very appealing.

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