Mourinho Defends Vinícius Junior and Mbappé Amid Whistles
Real Madrid boss José Mourinho has thrown his full weight behind Vinícius Junior and Kylian Mbappé after both stars were whistled by sections of the Bernabéu crowd, turning to an old Portuguese saying to defend his forwards on the eve of their Liga clash with Rayo Vallecano.
Mourinho backs his stars as whistles ring out
Madrid arrive at Saturday’s game on uneven footing. A stinging league defeat to Real Betis, then a draining but vital Champions League win over Inter Milan. The result in Europe steadied the campaign. The atmosphere did not.
During that Inter tie, parts of the home support turned on Vinícius and Mbappé, greeting misplaced touches and missed chances with whistles. It did not go unnoticed. Asked about the reaction in his Friday press conference, Mourinho refused to join the chorus. He went the other way.
He reached for a proverb.
“In Portugal there is a proverb: you only throw stones at trees that have fruit,” he said, as quoted by 20Minutos. “You are not going to throw stones at a tree that gives you nothing. What Vini has done here in recent years, how many Champions Leagues he has won, how many goals he has scored, he is a tree that has a lot of fruit. People throw stones because they want fruit, they want the best from Vinicius.”
No lecture. No attack on the fans. Just a reminder of what the Brazilian has already delivered in white and why the scrutiny burns so hot.
Mbappé’s “animal” shift against Inter
Mourinho then turned to Mbappé. Not to talk about goals, but graft.
He singled out the Frenchman’s late defensive work against Inter, when Madrid were clinging on with ten men.
He described Mbappé defending “like an animal” on the left flank, tracking back alongside Marc Cucurella in the 90th minute, with the team a man down and the full-back “already dead on his feet”.
“I use the same proverb as I did for Vinícius,” Mourinho added. “There are things I see and value highly. I watched a team playing in the 90th minute, down to ten men for the final two minutes, and I saw Mbappe playing as a left-winger, defending while a man down, covering for Cucurella, who was already dead on his feet.
Kylian was exhausted too, yet he spent those two minutes defending the left flank like an animal, urged on by a very demanding coach who wouldn't stop shouting and motivating him.”
The message was clear: if the Bernabéu wants commitment, this was it. Running on empty, still chasing, still tackling.
Demanding coach, unconditional backing
Mourinho did not hide the emotional sting when his own players are jeered. He admitted it makes him sad. But he drew a line: anyone who empties the tank for him will never stand alone.
The Portuguese coach referenced recent comments from young defender Dean Huijsen, who had jokingly branded him a constant irritant on the touchline.
“I’ve read comments from Huijsen saying I’m a real pain, that I’m always on his case, and that’s somewhat true,” Mourinho said. “The expectation is that you give everything you have; and whoever gives everything isn't obliged to give more. When there is unity between team and stadium, you are almost unbeatable.”
That last sentence hung in the air like a challenge.
With Rayo Vallecano visiting the Santiago Bernabéu next, and Madrid still juggling domestic recovery with European ambition, the question is no longer about Vinícius or Mbappé alone. It is whether the stands and the dressing room can move in step again — because Mourinho has made his choice.
