Esteban Suárez warns: “Mourinho will take Vinicius off”

Vinicius is once again at the heart of the debate at the Bernabéu, with his form under scrutiny and a tense atmosphere building around his performances. As Mundo Deportivo notes, some whistles during the match have intensified doubts about his outings, in a pattern that also showed up in several stretches of last season.

The former goalkeeper who put his thoughts into words was Esteban Suárez, on Radioestadio Noche (Onda Cero). In his comments, he made clear what he expects from Mourinho: “Mourinho won’t stay quiet… maybe he makes mistakes, but I believe that if he has to take Vinicius off…”, he said, adding that Vinicius is “smart” and knows that the issue isn’t simply another coach figure.

Whistles fuel the argument

Suárez also weighed in on the wider context, pointing to what he sees as a pressure cycle: “A lot of people have done damage to Vinicius by praising him too much for many of his actions, and then it becomes a difficult year for him,” he argued.

He also framed the situation as something being driven by narratives and competing expectations. In his view, “Vinicius’ enemy isn’t Xabi Alonso,” and he suggested there are people even hoping Vinicius doesn’t play.

A parallel with Mbappé

Alongside the discussion of Vinicius’ moment, Mundo Deportivo includes Suárez’s take on Kylian Mbappé. According to the former goalkeeper, “Everyone talks about Mbappé, everyone starts doubting him and they boo him,” and he questioned whether Mbappé has the character to bounce back, saying the fans’ sporting affection has been fading.