Mourinho: “If I were Vinicius, I’d have left last summer”

Real Madrid coach José Mourinho has thrown his weight behind Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) as the Brazilian works through a four-game suspension in LaLiga following an incident that saw him sent off for pulling an opponent’s hair.

Mourinho said Saturday that if he had been in Vinícius’ position, he would likely have pushed for an exit “last summer”. Speaking in the pre-match press conference before Sunday’s Liga game against Sevilla, he praised “Vini” as “fantastic” and pointed to the value of being able to “live and survive” in that environment with a smile, while also adding: “If I were in his place, I probably wouldn’t be here anymore.”

He also described why Vinícius stayed: love for Real Madrid and the belief that things can improve. Spanish media had reported that the No. 7 was of interest to Arsenal, England’s title holders, but he opted to remain on a contract extended until 2032.

With the ban set to cover the next four matches, Mourinho urged Vinícius to “work more than the others”. Real Madrid are fourth in the table, six points behind unbeaten league leader Barcelona, and they face Sevilla this Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu.