Mourinho defends Vinicius: "I would have forced his departure to a country where he'd be respected"

José Mourinho delivered a strong defense of Vinicius Jr on Saturday at a press conference, stating that the Brazilian should have left Spain for a country where he would be more respected. “I would have forced my departure to a country where I’d be respected,” said the Portuguese coach, before emphasizing that it is out of “loyalty to Real Madrid and love for the club” that the forward chose to stay.

Mourinho’s comments come in a difficult context for Vinicius, who was sent off the previous weekend against Villarreal, then substituted in the 59th minute during the Champions League match at Roma — a match that Real ultimately turned around after his exit. “Vinicius had a very difficult match,” acknowledged the manager, who pointed to the responsibility of his counterpart Gasperini: “It was Gasperini, who was constantly attacking down his wing.”

Mourinho was keen to place his player’s performance in a collective context, recalling that he had made five substitutions and not just one. “Substitutions are part of football,” he insisted, refusing to make Vinicius the sole focus of the Roma evening.

On the disciplinary front, the Brazilian received a four-match suspension in La Liga, a sanction that Mourinho says he anticipated — and even found lenient. “I’m happy. I thought they would add one or two more,” he said with his usual irony.

Despite this league suspension, Mourinho indicated that Vinicius should start on Wednesday in the Champions League for the home match against Leipzig. The coach concluded on a personal note: “He’s a wonderful guy, very easy to get along with. I spend a few minutes alone with him every day. He always manages to live through difficulties and overcome them with a smile. If I were in his position, I probably wouldn’t be here.”