Vinícius Júnior was left out of Real Madrid‘s starting eleven by José Mourinho on Saturday, after the coach admitted that the star forward had failed to find his best form so far this season ahead of their game with Villarreal.
Summer signing Yan Diomande started on Madrid’s left wing — alongside Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler — in the team’s first match back at the Bernabéu, as LaLiga returned after the international break.
Vinícius has scored just one goal in eight appearances for Madrid this season, while he found the net once in 192 minutes with Brazil against Australia and India over the last two weeks.
“What makes me feel bad, and sad, is understanding that he wants to do well, he wants to be the Vinícius who wins games, who wins trophies, who wins Champions Leagues, who makes the difference,” Mourinho said in a news conference on Friday.
“It’s the pain he feels, being a boy who — to my surprise — is a great boy, who’s working hard. Will he always play until ‘our’ Vini returns, or will the time come when I think the best way of helping him is with a specific plan, which involves him not playing, and finding another way of helping the player?
– Manuel Neuer error sees Robin Fellhauer score fastest-ever Bundesliga goal
– ’51 years’: Man United fans revive Man City ‘trophy drought’ banner
– Cole Palmer signs new contract until 2034
“With a boy like this, who isn’t the Vini from another world [right now], it hurts me that the fans, influenced by a lot of [the media], aren’t helping him. He deserves to be helped. He wants to be the Vinícius who’s given so much joy to Madrid fans.”
Vinícius signed a new, long-term contract at Madrid until 2032 this summer after months of stalemate in talks over a new deal.
He has been whistled on multiple occasions by some fans at the Bernabéu — most recently last month — as he has struggled to find the form which made him Ballon d’Or runner-up in 2024.
Leave a Reply