Mourinho defends Vinicius but urges him to better control his reactions

José Mourinho delivered a nuanced message about Vinicius Junior during his press conference on Tuesday, ahead of Real Madrid’s home match against Real Sociedad in La Liga. The Portuguese manager, back on the Madrid bench, supported his Brazilian forward while issuing a public warning about managing his emotions.

Vinicius found himself at the center of controversy on the opening day of La Liga against Espanyol, involved in several clashes with opponents and accused of diving on certain plays. Mourinho first defended him, denouncing the refereeing treatment his player received: “If the yellow card comes after ten fouls, after all this aggression, it’s a treatment I don’t appreciate.”

But the Portuguese coach did not shy away from criticism. “What I saw in pre-season, it’s clear that Vinicius is different from other players. He has picked up bad habits. Opponents know they can take advantage of it,” he said, comparing the situation to a child being bullied because he hasn’t been given boundaries.

Mourinho also drew a clear line between provocations that merit a reaction and those that don’t. “His reaction, if it’s not related to homophobic or racist remarks, I think he can control it and improve it,” he clarified, before adding with humor: “With the personality I have, if someone did that to me, it would maybe be a red card for me.”

The manager concluded by opening a perspective on collective work: “His relationship with away stadiums, that’s something we can work on.” A positioning that illustrates Mourinho’s approach — protecting his player from excessive opposing behavior, without giving him a blank check on his own conduct.