José Mourinho on Real Madrid's Squad Harmony and Vinicius' Comeback

José Mourinho insists he has not had to play peacemaker between Aurélien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, despite the explosive feud that scarred Real Madrid’s dressing room last season.

The pair clashed twice in May, one confrontation ending with Valverde in hospital after suffering a head injury. Their relationship became a symbol of the tension inside a squad chasing trophies on all fronts and living on the edge.

Now, a few months later, the mood could hardly feel more different.

From hospital ward to harmony

The summer reset did its work. Tchouameni signed a new contract. Valverde took the armband after Dani Carvajal’s departure. Power shifted, roles changed, and with it, the dynamic between the two midfielders.

On the eve of Madrid’s meeting with Rayo Vallecano, Mourinho painted a picture of a squad that has done its own healing.

“Look, I haven't done anything. They've done everything themselves,” he said. “The empathy within the group today, the friendship, the way they work together, the frustration when they go off because nobody wants to be substituted, but still supporting their teammates, the player who comes on in the final minute… the group is fantastic.”

The reconciliation was there for everyone to see in the Champions League win over Inter Milan. Tchouameni, back from World Cup duty and making his first appearance of the season, came off the bench late on to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold. At full-time, cameras caught him embracing Valverde. No tension. No frost. Just two key players sharing a quiet moment after a European victory.

Mourinho admitted he had braced himself for something very different.

“If I knew nothing, if I walked into the dressing room without knowing anything about the situation, I'd think they were great friends,” he said. “When they came back from the World Cup, I was obviously paying attention to see whether I needed to act as a peacekeeper, but I didn't have to do anything.”

The storm that once threatened to split his midfield has, for now, blown over.

Mourinho’s shield around Vinicius

With one problem apparently solved, Mourinho turned his fire elsewhere: the criticism raining down on Vinicius Jr.

The Brazilian ended a summer of speculation by signing a new deal through 2032 last month, a contract that underlined his status as one of the pillars of this Madrid side. His start to the season, though, has been muted. One goal in five games in all competitions has given his detractors an easy target.

Mourinho is having none of it.

“The best Vinicius is coming soon,” he insisted. “The one from last year, when the Bernabéu was terrified against Benfica and he ended up winning the tie. The Vinicius who won matches single-handedly hasn't arrived yet. But he will.”

In a football world obsessed with numbers, Mourinho leaned on the data to back his belief.

“In an era of data and statistics, he's very close to his top speed. He's broken his records for high-intensity sprints, records for ball recoveries, for ball recoveries in the final third... He's coming.”

The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager bristled at the tone of the Spanish media’s scrutiny, arguing that the noise around the 26-year-old is the price of being decisive at the highest level. Vinicius already owns three La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and two FIFA Club World Cups with Madrid, plus a stack of other honours. That kind of résumé changes the way every touch, every miss, every dip in form is judged.

To drive home his point, Mourinho reached for a line from home.

“In Portugal there's a proverb, I don't know if it's the same in Spain, ‘you only throw stones at trees that bear fruit,’” he said. “What has Vini done here in recent years? How many Champions Leagues has he won? How many goals has he scored? He's a tree with plenty of fruit. And people throw stones because they want fruit.”

The message was clear. The dressing room has cleaned up its own mess, the captain’s armband has found a new owner, and the coach is ready to stand in front of his star forward and take the hits.

Now comes the real test: whether that unity, and that defiance, can carry Madrid through the months when titles are won or lost.