Mourinho says he would have forced Vinicius Junior out of Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho says he would have demanded a move away from Real Madrid had he been in Vinicius Junior’s position, citing the repeated abuse directed at the Brazil winger in Spain.

Vinicius was sent off for pulling an opponent’s hair during Real Madrid’s victory over Villarreal last weekend and was subsequently banned for four matches. The suspension rules him out of the Clasico against Barcelona on 25 October.

The 26-year-old has also endured repeated racist abuse from opposition supporters since joining Real Madrid in 2018.

“He’s a spectacular kid who it’s easy to have a good relationship with. He’s a fantastic boy,” Mourinho told reporters.

“Tremendous credit to him for the fact that he keeps living and surviving and still having a smile.

“If it were me in his place, probably I wouldn’t be here. In this last summer I would have forced an exit to a league, a country, to somewhere there are rival clubs and stadiums that respect him.”

Vinicius nevertheless reaffirmed his commitment to Real Madrid by signing a new contract running until 2032.

Mourinho believes the player’s affection for the club and the city persuaded him to stay, despite the treatment he has received.

“Because he loves Real Madrid, for loving the club and the city, for believing that things can always improve, he renewed and he keeps on smiling,” Mourinho said.

“He’s human, so people can influence him negatively, but no one can take away his joy of living and working and being with his team-mates.”

The coach also suggested Real Madrid could have faced a more severe punishment than the four-match suspension handed to Vinicius.

Mourinho substituted the winger during Wednesday’s 4-3 Champions League win over Roma, with Vinicius still trying to rediscover the form that helped him win the competition twice under Carlo Ancelotti.

Real Madrid also continue to consider how best to accommodate Vinicius, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham in the same side without upsetting the team’s balance.

They visit Sevilla on Sunday hoping to remain in touch with La Liga leaders Barcelona. Hansi Flick’s side have won every match this season and are six points clear of fourth-placed Real Madrid.

The dispute involving Vinicius comes during a period of increasing tension between Real Madrid and Spanish football authorities over refereeing decisions.

The club have criticised officials after several results this season, including a 2-1 derby defeat by Atletico Madrid in September. On Friday, Real Madrid also called for La Liga president Javier Tebas to resign after he compared the club’s efforts to undermine referees with propaganda methods associated with Nazi official Joseph Goebbels.

Tebas later said his comments had referred to propaganda techniques rather than Nazi ideology.

Mourinho did not want to become directly involved in the dispute but expressed his frustration.

“I don’t want to talk about this, there are limits and there are limits. You can only excuse it if it’s a clinical case – otherwise there’s no excuse,” he said.

“I don’t want to go down that road. Madrid and its fans understand what they are up against.

“For the prestige that the league has abroad, for being the current world champions, it’s better if we try to keep this here and not let it get out to the world.”