“What hurts me, so makes me sad, is understanding that he wants to be at his best, that he wants to be the one winning matches and making the difference as Vinicius Jr always did,” Mourinho said. “It hurts to feel the pain he is going through, a young man who, to my surprise, is extraordinary and works incredibly hard to get back to his best. Because this is Vinicius Jr, always.”
He was speaking before Madrid’s matchday-eight game against Villarreal. He said he does not criticise the fanbase and only respects it, but that it breaks his heart to see a player who is not, for now, the Vinicius of recent seasons go without support. He pointed at the media as part of the mood. “Vini deserves support. He wants nothing more than to be the Vinicius who has brought so much joy to the Madrid faithful.”
Mourinho also left the selection open. He asked whether Vinicius should play every game until the old version returns, or whether the better help might be a specific plan that means fewer minutes or a place on the bench. He said pure meritocracy, dropping a player the moment the numbers dip, can make the return longer rather than shorter.
The message is two things at once. The work is happening, and the level is not there yet. Mourinho wants the crowd to wait. He has not promised that Vinicius starts every week while he waits.