An insight into the immediate reaction of Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho to the performance conjured up by Vinícius Jr. in the club’s season opener has come to the fore online. This comes after the Brazilian was once again singled out for widespread criticism.
Real were of course back in action this past weekend, kicking their endeavours for the 2026/27 La Liga campaign into gear in a meeting with Espanyol.
When all was said and done, Los Blancos got their season up-and-running in positive fashion, courtesy of a last-gasp 2-1 triumph.
The aforementioned Vinícius was for his part afforded a starting berth at the RCDE Stadium, from his customary berth on the left flank. In his first competitive appearance since penning a new long-term contract in Spain’s capital over the summer, however, the gifted winger struggled in efforts to impact proceedings.
In fact, Vinícius was widely targeted by fans and pundits alike, for an at-times petulant showing featuring an opening day yellow card.
One individual, however, who appears to have been unperturbed by his star attacker’s showing was new headmaster José Mourinho.
As per a report from Marca, after the Portuguese publicly defended Vinícius in his post-match media commitments, he followed up with a personal message, too:
‘Mourinho has no doubts about Vinicius. And he wanted the player to know that privately. The manager spoke with him to reassure him and build confidence. For Mourinho, Vinicius is a fundamental piece of the team he is building.’
Conor Laird – GSFN
