Julen Guerrero's Warning to Vinicius Jr.: Rediscover the Hunger
Julen Guerrero has delivered a sharp warning to Vinicius Jr., insisting the Brazilian must rediscover the hunger that once made him one of Real Madrid’s most terrifying weapons.
The former Athletic Bilbao icon sees a very different Vinicius this season. The winger’s 2026/27 campaign has started in fits and starts, his influence a shadow of the electric peak that turned him into a Bernabéu reference point.
Guerrero is not buying the idea that this is just a finishing slump or a bad run of numbers. For him, the problem cuts deeper.
“Vinicius doesn't seem to have the same ambition and desire as before, the drive to attack, to take on defenders, to do all the things he does so well," he said, as cited by Defensa Central. "He seems more complacent and is making a lot of mistakes. He needs to rediscover the joy of wanting to be number 1, as he has wanted to be for so long.
"Right now, he's far from his best form."
Those are heavy words from a man who knows what it means to carry the expectations of a big club. And they land at a time when Vinicius’ season feels stuck between flashes of brilliance and long stretches of frustration.
Mbappé not the answer on the left
The easy solution from the outside would be to slide Kylian Mbappé into Vinicius’ spot and move on. Guerrero doesn’t see it that way.
He expects Jose Mourinho to stand by Vinicius, not only out of faith in the player, but because he does not view Mbappé as a natural fit on the left flank.
"I don't see Mbappe on the left. I think Mourinho wants to get Vinicius back to his defensive role, and I don't think Mbappé is suited for that.
"He's focused on goals, on being up front, and resting when he doesn't have the ball. That's why Mourinho doesn't see him playing alongside Espi.
"I see him more as an attacking midfielder with freedom, with Espí pinning the centre-backs, than on the left. In his mind, he wants to stay up front. In any case, that position belongs to Bellingham," Guerrero added.
So the message is clear: that left side is still Vinicius’ territory. If he wants to keep it, he has to raise his level.
Madrid’s wider problem: switching off
Guerrero’s criticism did not stop with the Brazilian. He pointed to a broader concern after Real Madrid’s 3-2 win over Elche — a match that should have been routine but turned into a late escape act.
Madrid led by two and looked in cruise control. Then the lights dimmed. Elche fought back, wiped out the lead, and only a stoppage-time strike from Carlos Espí spared Mourinho’s team from embarrassment.
"What's most concerning is their switching off. The first half was comfortable, without playing excellent football, but with everything under control.
“They didn't press high, nor did they seem to have tremendous ambition. Elche combined quite comfortably, but Madrid has much more firepower."
The warning is unmistakable. A complacent Vinicius, a team that drifts through games, and a coach trying to knit together a front line built around stars like Mbappé, Bellingham and Espí.
Madrid have the talent. Guerrero’s question hangs over all of it: do they still have the edge?
