Real Madrid urged to drop Vinicius as Mourinho faces growing pressure

Real Madrid are facing a serious crisis after losing two of their past seven La Liga matches, with Sunday’s derby defeat by Atletico Madrid intensifying scrutiny on the club’s summer rebuild and manager Jose Mourinho.

The latest setback has raised fresh questions over president Florentino Perez’s decision to restructure the squad and appoint Mourinho, whose arrival was intended to restore the players’ best form and return Real Madrid to their former authority.

Instead, the team’s performances have failed to improve and now appear comparable to, or worse than, last season’s displays. That has increased concern among supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu and placed Mourinho under mounting criticism.

One of the most significant decisions made by Perez during the summer was to extend Vinicius Junior’s contract until 30 June 2032. The Brazilian reportedly earns about 24m euros a year under the new agreement, making him Real Madrid’s second-highest-paid player behind Kylian Mbappe.

However, Vinicius’ performances have declined sharply since signing the deal. Once regarded as a player capable of frightening Europe’s best defences, he is now facing intense criticism from both supporters and the media.

A growing section of the Real Madrid support is openly calling for him to be removed from the starting line-up, with the younger winger Yan Diomande given an opportunity in his place.

Despite the criticism, Mourinho is reported to retain complete confidence in Vinicius. A post by Madrid Zone on 23 September 2026, citing Diario AS, said there was no “Vinicius case” for the manager and that he considered the player a fundamental part of his project. The priority, it added, was to provide him with the tools required to recover his best form.

Calls for Vinicius to be dropped

Sports journalist Matias Prats has argued that Vinicius should be left out of the side. Speaking on Radio Marca, in comments reported by Spanish newspaper Sport, Prats said the forward had made a poor start to the season.

“Vinicius has not performed well at the beginning of this season. The solution is clear: he needs to experience the consequences of sitting on the bench,” Prats said.

He added: “It would be for his benefit and for Real Madrid’s. I think he needs a warning. Vinicius is not performing well, he lacks energy, he cannot dribble past anyone and he is not making any effort.”

Prats also pointed to Diomande as a ready-made replacement, saying: “There is a player almost begging for a place in the starting line-up, and that is Diomande.”

Another Radio Marca contributor suggested Mourinho could alter Real Madrid’s attacking system by introducing a recognised striker.

“He can bring in a centre-forward,” the analyst said. “I do not think Carlos Espai is surplus to requirements at the moment. He is a different type of player and could give the team a new attacking dimension.”

Prats concluded his criticism by describing the current Real Madrid side as “a team without a soul”.