José Mourinho has insisted nobody should doubt Vinícius Júnior’s commitment to Real Madrid after he rejected several offers from elsewhere in favor of extending his contract, going as far as to admit he would have forced an exit from the club had he been in the winger’s shoes this summer.
Questions about Vinícius Jr’s future at the Bernabéu were swirling this summer. Interest from Saudi Arabia has been around for years, but Arsenal joined the race after the World Cup, and some reports went as far as to state many at the Emirates genuinely believed he would make the move.
A new contract was ultimately signed, but it has not ended the debate about Vinícius Jr’s future at the club. A series of disappointing performances and a four-match ban for a red card last time out in La Liga has seen many question whether Madrid made the right decision to keep hold of the Brazil international.
It is a delicate moment for Vinícius Jr right now, and Mourinho was eager to remind disgruntled fans of just how devoted to the club the under-fire winger is.
“He’s a spectacular guy, very easy to get along with,” Mourinho began. “I like him a lot, and he’s fantastic.
“He has tremendous value because he manages to live and survive with a smile. If it were me, he probably wouldn’t be here. Last summer, I would have forced a move to a country or group of clubs and rivals where he’d be respected. Out of love for the club and the city, because he believes things can improve, he renewed his contract and continues with that smile.
“People might influence him negatively because he's human, but I don't think anyone can take away that joy.”
He added: “When I arrived, he renewed his contract, showed that Madrid is his home and expressed his desire to continue making history and winning titles. He gets along well with everyone in the locker room; he’s a source of joy.
“I have no serious doubts about whether he has the strength to stay here with all the offers he had.”
Mourinho: I Thought Vinícius Jr’s Suspension Would Be Longer
The four-match ban handed out to Vinícius Jr was the latest obstacle in the winger’s ongoing quest to return to his best.
He was furious to learn that his dismissal for pulling the hair of Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba brought a suspension of four games—ignoring the fact only two came from the incident and a further two stemmed from his aggressive reaction to the referee.
Vinícius subsequently failed to make the most of what is going to be a rare outing midweek when he was substituted with his side 3–1 down to Roma. An emotional reaction to the substitution did not help his situation, and neither did the fact he watched his side turn things around from the sidelines.
“Vinícius had a very difficult match,” Mourinho acknowledged. “The main culprit for his performance is [Roma manager Gian Piero] Gasperini, who attacked us down only one wing. Three men against [Marc] Cucurella and him...
“What bothered me was the nature of the second goal, at a time when the game was calm and balanced. We knew how they would man-mark, and Vini had to secure the ball or draw a foul. But that’s it. It’s not a big deal. I made five changes; it’s part of football. The intensity is extremely high, and it’s difficult to play at 200 miles an hour for 90 minutes.
“Vini’s future lies in working harder than those who have to play every match. Without promising anything, I think he’ll start in the Champions League on Wednesday.”
Mourinho concluded by admitting his surprise that Vinícius’s suspension was only four games as he returned to the Portuguese idiom of a “hidden cat” to suggest a conspiracy against the winger.
“Regarding the four-match suspension, I’m happy because I thought he was going to be suspended longer,” he laughed. “I thought that the hidden cats were going to score another game or two against them.”
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