Mourinho says he would leave Spain if he were Vinicius Junior
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior received a four-match domestic ban from the Royal Spanish Football Federation Disciplinary Committee following a red card for hair-pulling Villarreal player Nathan Saliba, prompting manager Jose Mourinho to state that he would leave Spain if he were in the player’s position.
Vinicius Faces Suspension After Red Card Against Villarreal
Vinicius picked up the suspension after the red card he received during a 1-0 win over Villarreal, where he pulled Saliba’s hair when not in a struggle for the ball and protested the referee’s decision. Real Madrid argued the punishment was unfair, pointing out that in a number of cases, hair-pulling opponents were not given a punishment as heavy as Vinicius. Despite holding a contract that had one year remaining last summer and drawing a transfer offer from Arsenal, Vinicius chose to sign an extension with Madrid, maintaining a record of 129 goals alongside three LaLiga titles, one Copa del Rey, and two Champions League trophies.
Contasting Perspectives on Loyalty and Leaving Spain
Speaking to BeIN Sport, Mourinho expressed admiration for the forward’s mental resilience while revealing how he would handle identical treatment. “If I were in his position, perhaps I would not be here,” Mourinho said. “I certainly would have pushed for a move to a country where he will be valued, but because of loyalty to Real Madrid and his love for the club, he stays.” Ahead of a league match against Sevilla, the coach stated, “Musim panas lalu, saya pasti sudah memaksakan kepindahan saya ke liga, negara, klub, dan stadion tempat mereka menghormatinya.” Mourinho clarified that Vinicius ultimately treats Madrid as home, acknowledging his own doubts about whether he could maintain such psychological endurance under sustained hostility.
Mourinho Adjusts Formation to Align Vinicius and Mbappe
Behind the scenes, Mourinho faces significant tactical hurdles in aligning Vinicius with Kylian Mbappe, as detailed through analysis from Mario Cortegana of The Athletic. The manager shifted Real Madrid from a 4-4-2 shape to a more compact 4-2-3-1 formation to address space-sharing conflicts between the two forwards, particularly after a 1-2 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid. Mourinho also voiced complaints regarding fixture congestion, specifically highlighting a turnaround where Real Madrid plays in Athens on Wednesday, lands at 5:00 a.m., and faces Valencia on Saturday.
It is unclear if tactical adjustments and squad rotations will resolve the attacking overlap before the El Clasico against Barcelona on October 25.
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