José Mourinho calls for Bernabéu fairness on Mbappé and Vinícius

José Mourinho, in his press conference before Real Madrid’s trip to Villarreal, put the Bernabéu at the centre of his message. He asked the stadium to be fair and “intelligent” with the club’s dynamics and objectives, despite recent noise involving Kylian Mbappé and the “rún-rún” around Vinícius.

The Portuguese coach stressed that if a Real Madrid player fails on the pitch and doesn’t meet his obligations, the crowd won’t see him on the bench—he’ll be at home. On Mbappé specifically, he said that if the forward plays, it will be because he is convinced he has not fallen short as a Real Madrid player or as a citizen.

Merit with room to help

Mourinho also addressed Vinícius Júnior: he said meritocracy must exist, but with an opening based on the moment and the best way to help. He admitted it hurts him when a player like Vinícius doesn’t get support and insisted he will find a way to help the squad member who is working well and wants to be decisive.