Mourinho on Vinícius: The Team Comes First

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Mourinho on Vinícius: The Team Comes First.

At a Glance

José Mourinho clarified his principles of squad planning before Real Madrid’s away game against Valencia. The coach does not want to weaken the team in order to help a single player. In his view, every personnel decision must take the entire sequence of games into account.

Questions about Vinícius’s playing time dominated the press conference. Mourinho also discussed the team’s fatigue, the difficulty of the opponent and the upcoming international break.

• Real Madrid travel to Mestalla to face Valencia.
• Vinícius started against AEK Athens and was substituted in the 80th minute.
• When selecting his team, Mourinho looks beyond the next game to the sequence of fixtures ahead.
• According to Mourinho, Valencia prepared for their opponent throughout the week and will therefore be rested and fresh for the game.

The Team Comes Before Vinícius

Vinícius started in Real Madrid’s two most recent European matches. He was substituted after 80 minutes in Athens. Asked whether the Brazilian should play despite not yet being fully fit, Mourinho delivered a clear statement of principle:

For me, the most important thing is the team. I have never, of my own accord, wanted to harm the group to benefit a player.

The coach made clear that he would not weaken the team for Vinícius’s benefit. Once the forward was fully fit again, he wanted to assess the situation confidently and make the right decision for the upcoming sequence of games.

At the same time, Mourinho defended Vinícius as a great footballer. A poor player will remain poor despite a good decision by the coach, while a very good player can also go through difficult periods. Form alone, therefore, should not determine his selection.

A poor player will always be one, but a great footballer also goes through difficult times.

He ultimately summarized his decision on principle as follows:

When choosing the starting eleven, the crest comes above any name.

Why Valencia Is Particularly Dangerous

According to ABC, Valencia are in the lower part of the table with nine points. The game is important for the club because they need points. Mourinho also believes the opponent has used the entire week to prepare and will therefore be rested and fresh for the match.

Valencia’s coach is Javier Aguirre, whose clear style, in Mourinho’s view, makes it difficult for the Spanish club to play as the underdog. Despite Madrid being physically and mentally fatigued after their latest away win, the coach considered Valencia one of the league’s most difficult opponents.

Mourinho described the players’ response after their recovery session as positive. He did not want to dramatize the difficulty of the game. The away match caused him particular concern, while he did not see the international break as a problem, provided the national team coaches respected their players and their playing time.

The Strain After the Game in Athens

Real Madrid defeated AEK Athens 3:2. After returning to Madrid, the team did not arrive back until three in the morning. They therefore remained at Valdebebas initially to get a little more sleep.

Mourinho sounded calm in light of these circumstances. From his perspective, the result against AEK Athens was no reason to treat the game at Mestalla as easier. The biggest challenge, he said, was an opponent who had prepared for the game and wanted to win.

What It Means for the Upcoming Lineups

Vinícius’s starts in recent European matches do not mean that he will automatically feature in the starting lineup again. According to Mourinho, form, tactical plan, workload and the upcoming sequence of fixtures must all be considered together.

The final lineup for Mestalla was not yet foreseeable at his press conference. As a result, he gave no specific commitment either way regarding Vinícius. One thing was clear: the coach did not want to weaken either the team or the game plan for the sake of a single player.