José Mourinho, the Real Madrid manager, has continued to defend his Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior, rejecting the jeers the player was subjected to during the victory over Inter in the Champions League last Tuesday.
Real Madrid prepare to face Rayo Vallecano tomorrow, Saturday, in the fifth round of the Spanish league. The Whites want to get back on track after suffering their first defeat of the season at the hands of Real Betis last Friday.
Mourinho tackled the controversy surrounding Vinícius, the fan support he sometimes receives and the criticism he faces at other times, drawing on a Portuguese proverb to defend him.
As reported by the newspaper "AS", he said: "In Portugal there is a saying, I don't know if it exists in Spain in the same form, 'You only throw stones at trees that bear fruit'. What has Vini done here in recent years? How many Champions Leagues has he won? How many goals has he scored? He is a tree that bears a lot of fruit. And people throw stones because they want the fruit."
He added: "The best version of Vinícius will arrive. The version from last year, when the Bernabéu was afraid against Benfica and he ended up settling the tie. That version of Vinícius will arrive."
The manager continued: "In the age of data and statistics, he is very close to his top speed. He has broken his records in high-intensity running, his record in ball recoveries, and in ball recoveries in the final third... it will arrive."
Mourinho declined to assess the reaction of Real Madrid's fans towards Vinícius, but he admitted that hearing the jeers against the Brazilian player makes him sad.
He said: "I don't even want to give my opinion, it's not about criticism or expressing an opinion. I'm nobody to give my opinion. I feel sad, because I am very demanding with my team's players."
The Portuguese manager went on: "I read some statements by (Dean) Huijsen, in which he said that I'm an annoying person, and that I'm always on the players' backs. And that's true, I ask for a lot. To be very demanding means to give everything you have."
He continued: "I respect the player who gives everything. Vinícius wanted to play, he wanted to help, he played as a team, and he played with respect for his shirt. This type of player makes me always on his side. That doesn't mean he will always play, but it means he will always find me on his side. This makes me sad, but I don't want to assess or criticise."
Mourinho noted: "From my experience, not just at Real Madrid, when there is a union between the team and the stadium, you become... I don't want to say unbeatable, but you become very close to that."
The Real Madrid manager tried to remind his club's fans of the record he holds for going unbeaten at home, to underline how much the support of his teams' fans has meant throughout his career.
He said: "I still hold a record in the Guinness Book of Records for the number of matches I've played at home without a defeat in the top leagues, 6 or 7 years without a defeat... I don't know. But when you work as a team with the stadium, you become unbeatable, and yet every stadium, at a certain moment, has the right to react."
According to the Guinness World Records, Mourinho holds the record for the number of matches played at home without a defeat in the major European leagues, over 9 years, in the period from February 2002 to February 2011. During this stretch he managed four teams: Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid in his first spell.
On the condition of his players ahead of the match against Rayo Vallecano, Mourinho said: "Happy, united, and working well. Clearly, working well means recovering well. Today we did some tactical work and there wasn't a great deal of intensity. But with respect for the opponent. They have won and shown their quality. We must be fully focused tomorrow."
He added: "I take the opportunity of this question to thank the coach Íñigo Pérez for his words, they were 'very kind', and I didn't deserve all of that. I'll embrace him tomorrow."