Jose Mourinho plays down Tchouameni-Valverde rift and backs Vinicius Jr | OneFootball

Jose Mourinho says he has not had to mediate between Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, and has publicly backed Vinicius Jr. According to Goal.com, the Real Madrid head coach discussed the dressing-room dynamic and moved to quell scrutiny of his Brazilian forward.

Last season the pair were involved in two May altercations, one of which led to Valverde being hospitalised with a head injury.

Since the summer, Tchouameni has signed a new contract and Valverde has inherited the captaincy, and Mourinho says the mood has transformed. He praised the empathy in the squad, from friendship on the training ground to players supporting team-mates even when substituted.

Their reconciliation was visible in the Champions League win over Inter Milan, when Tchouameni made his first appearance of the season after World Cup duty and embraced Valverde at full-time. Mourinho added that he had been ready to mediate after the internationals, but found a group that had already moved on.

Turning to Vinicius Jr, who signed a new deal through 2032 last month, Mourinho noted a quiet start of one goal in five games. He insisted the forward is close to top form, citing data that shows personal bests for high-intensity sprints and ball recoveries, including in the final third. He suggested the criticism reflects the player’s success, and invoked a Portuguese saying about stones being thrown at fruit-bearing trees.

Source: Goal.com

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