José Mourinho Defends Vinicius Amid Struggles

José Mourinho did not try to disguise it. Vinicius is not himself right now. But the Real Madrid coach made it clear he is not about to abandon his winger.

Speaking after the final whistle, Mourinho admitted the Brazilian’s level has dipped, even as he defended the sheer volume of work Vinicius put in without the ball.

“He isn't at his best, and he knows it,” Mourinho said in his post-match press conference. “But he's working hard to be the Vinicius who decides games. Without being at his best, he's working harder than ever.

“In the moments that he wasn't able to drop back and defend, it was because of fatigue. I have to value that a lot. I have a lot of respect for this Vinicius. The time will come when he decides games, and wins us games.”

A star out of rhythm, but not out of work

This is a complicated spell for Vinicius. The Brazil international is coming off a bruising 2025-26 season, one in which criticism from the Madrid crowd became a constant backdrop. He responded in the summer by committing his long-term future to the club, a clear statement that he wanted to fight for his place and his status.

The numbers, though, tell the story of a slow start. One goal and two assists from five appearances is modest by his standards, especially for a player expected to tilt big games on his own.

Mourinho, though, chose to highlight the grind rather than the lack of end product. For him, the context matters – and against Inter, the tactical picture was far from simple.

Inter’s shape, Madrid’s problems

Real Madrid ran into an Inter side built on a back three with aggressive wing-backs, a system that stretches and suffocates wide players in equal measure. Mourinho underlined just how demanding that set-up is for someone in Vinicius’ role.

“If he works, he'll always have my support,” he said. “He worked very hard for the team. Playing against a side that plays with three at the back, with wing-backs, it's very hard for the wingers.

“Obviously with the one-on-ones he had on the left wing, with Vini at his best, he'd kill the game. That's what we expect of him. But he gave everything.”

That was the crux of Mourinho’s message: the killer edge is missing, the effort is not. The coach is effectively betting that the old Vinicius – the one who “kills” games in those isolated duels – will reappear once rhythm and confidence return.

Makeshift midfield, familiar demands

The Inter match also exposed deeper structural issues for Madrid. Suspensions to Bernardo Silva, Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga ripped key pieces out of Mourinho’s midfield. The solution was bold and uncomfortable: Trent Alexander-Arnold pushed into central midfield, away from his natural habitat.

Mourinho acknowledged the risk and the strain on the Englishman.

“It's hard for Trent. I appreciate the effort he made, but with his characteristics, the specificity needed to play full-back or central midfield, it's completely different physically,” he explained.

“He had some losses of the ball, because it's not the same playing with the whole field in front of you, and playing with half the field behind you. He's played there a few times with Liverpool and the national team, but it's completely different. He didn't have more to give.”

That line – “he didn't have more to give” – could just as easily apply to Vinicius on this night. Legs heavy, decisions a fraction slow, but the work unquestionable.

Mourinho has nailed his colours to the mast: as long as his winger keeps running, he will keep backing him. The question now is when that faith turns from defensive praise into decisive goals.