Mourinho sticks with Vinicius despite his worrying form | OneFootball

The image was surprising because of the context. Vinicius left the pitch in the 54th minute of the derby against Atlético Madrid, with no physical issues and with Real Madrid trailing 1-0 and down to ten men after Huijsen’s red card.

José Mourinho decided to reshuffle his pieces and brought on Diomande in an attempt to change the course of the match. The Brazilian, who delivered a very subdued performance, accepted the decision. However, the substitution does not represent any change in the Portuguese coach’s trust in his star player.

For Mourinho, there is no “Vinicius case.” The coach sees the Brazilian as a key part of his project and believes that his current dip in form is something to work through, not a reason to stop trusting him.

Vinicius, far from his best version

The derby numbers reflected the difficult moment the Brazilian is going through.

Vinicius did not create a single chance, had two shots — none on target — and was the Real Madrid player with the fewest touches, even fewer than players who came on from the bench.

In 56 minutes, he completed just eight passes and attempted only one dribble, which he completed. His involvement at the Metropolitano was practically symbolic.

The situation contrasts with the impact Mourinho expects from one of his main reference points.

Mourinho is working to bring back the decisive Vinicius

The coach’s concern is not a loss of confidence, but rather getting back the game-changing player he knows.

Mourinho believes that, in the right context, Vinicius can regain the consistency he has shown at other moments in his career. That is why the coach is working to give him the tools, responsibilities, and conditions that will allow him to recover his best form.

The relationship between the two also plays an important role. Mourinho was a key figure during the Brazilian’s contract renewal process and has publicly backed the player even when he faced criticism from the Santiago Bernabéu stands.

After the match against Inter, the Portuguese coach had already defended his effort:

“The Vini who kills off games”

Mourinho was even more emphatic when asked what he expects from the Brazilian once he gets back to his best level.

The coach recalled that performance by the Brazilian to explain why he still trusts his ability to change tight matches.

Twelve days after that message, the situation has not changed. Vinicius is going through a difficult spell and Mourinho wants to get back the player who can decide matches, but the Portuguese coach’s trust in him remains completely intact.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.