Mourinho talks Vinicius, Diomande, Mbappe, Courtois, Valverde, Tchouameni ahead of Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano | OneFootball

Jose Mourinho has strongly defended Vinicius Jr. after the Real Madrid forward was booed by supporters during the Champions League win over Inter Milan.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s La Liga meeting with Rayo Vallecano, Mourinho was also asked about Kylian Mbappe, possible rotation, Thibaut Courtois and the relationship between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.

The manager began by insisting his squad had recovered well from the Champions League victory, while stressing that Rayo deserve respect after their own positive result.

“We are happy, united, working well. Obviously, working well means recovering well. Today we focused on tactics rather than high intensity. But we’re respecting the opposition.

“They are coming off the back of a win and have shown their quality. We need to be fully focused for tomorrow.”

Mourinho refuses to turn on Vinicius

Mourinho was asked about the controversial penalty decision against Real Betis, to which he said, 

Mourinho has once again backed Vinicius Jr. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

“It doesn’t surprise me, because there’s a lot of mutual support amongst referees. 

“It’s very, very rare – and very difficult – for them to criticise a refereeing decision. Unity is strength.” 

The manager then addressed the reaction to Vinicius. On the Brazilian, his message was particularly clear.

“In Portugal there’s a proverb that goes, ‘you only throw stones at trees that bear fruit’.

“What has Vini achieved here in recent years? How many Champions Leagues has he won? How many goals has he scored? He’s a tree bearing plenty of fruit.

“The best Vinicius is yet to come. The one from last year, when the Bernabéu was on edge against Benfica and he sealed the tie. That Vinicius is yet to come.”

Mourinho was then asked what it feels like to hear the Bernabeu boo one of his players. He refused to criticise the supporters but made clear that the reaction affects him.

“I’m not even in a position to have an opinion. It makes me sad, because I’m very demanding of my own players.

“The other day I read a statement from Huijsen, saying that I’m a pain, that I’m always on their backs. And that’s true, I am very demanding.

“I respect a player who gives his all. He wanted to play, he wanted to help; he played as part of the team and showed respect for the club crest. That sort of player will always have my support.

“It makes me sad, but I don’t want to judge or criticise.”

On Mbappe and possible rotation

Mourinho is standing firm with Mbappe. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Mourinho also rejected criticism of Mbappe, pointing to the Frenchman’s defensive contribution as evidence of his commitment to the team.

“Kylian is right: a player who scores 40 goals every season isn’t a problem for the team. 

There are different kinds of people – those who understand and those who don’t; the latter know it’s not in their interests to talk about positive things.

“I’ve seen Kylian drop back to the 10-yard line to help Cucurella whilst a very demanding manager was shouting at him. 

“I really value that sort of behaviour. Then these people don’t mention that we defended well or that we could have scored eight goals.

“Why don’t they say that? Aren’t they happy that we’ve won? The coaching staff are very happy; we suffered and lost together against Betis.”

Asked whether Yan Diomande could receive an opportunity against Rayo, Mourinho refused to reveal his line-up but acknowledged that changes were possible after a demanding run of fixtures.

“I’m not going to answer that directly. I won’t say who’s playing or not. It’s a game we want to win, and we have to go all out. Maybe rotation isn’t the right word, but there will be room for fresh energy.

“We worked really hard on Tuesday, and we have many more options because we have fresh legs. It’s three games in nine days, but the focus is on tomorrow and how to win.”

On Courtois, Valverde and Tchouameni

Mourinho was also asked about Courtois and whether Valverde and Tchouameni can play together. His answers again focused on trust within the squad.

“He’s not worried, and neither is the club. There’s a sense of understanding; they know they’re all after the same thing.

Courtois is very crucial for Real Madrid’s success. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

“He’s young for a goalkeeper, and he’s also decided not to play in the Nations League with his national team, which allows him to stay more focused and get more rest during UEFA or FIFA international breaks.”

On Valverde and Tchouameni, Mourinho credited the players themselves rather than taking responsibility for the atmosphere.

“I haven’t done anything; they’ve done it all. The empathy and friendship within the squad, going to the bench in a huff, supporting those who are going on to help.

“As for Valverde and Tchouameni, if I’d known nothing about it and arrived without knowing anything, I would have thought they were great friends.

“I haven’t done anything; I haven’t been the ‘Minister of Peace’. They’ve built a squad that I really like.”

Before the press conference ended, Mourinho also responded to Rayo manager Benat San Jose, jokingly naming him as the Real Madrid figure he would remove from the match.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Benat San Jose for his words – ‘far too kind’ – he didn’t deserve such praise. I’ll give him a hug tomorrow,” he concluded.

Source: AS