Real Madrid fans were not happy with Vinicius Junior's performance in the 2026/27 La Liga season opener against Espanyol. Even though Real won and Vini drew eight fouls, Madridistas saw the stats as empty calories with the Brazilian international not doing anything to produce chances for his teammates or be efficient when he did get the ball into the final third.
Well, Vinicius answered the critics again, and whlie he was not as big of a standout as Kylian Mbappe or Jude Bellingham in a dominant 4-1 win over top La Liga side Real Sociedad, he still got his, scoring and assisting in a much more efficient display.
During the game, Vinicius was subbed out with Yan Diomande getting a chance to shine on the left wing, and it was notable to see the Santiago Bernabeu giving Vini a raucous response, with Mourinho clearly smiling and egging it on while he told Vini to soak in the love from the home fans.
Jose Mourinho is motivating Vinicius Jr. perfectly
After the game, Jose Mourinho admitted that he did indeed want this exact moment for Vinicius Junior from the Real Madrid faithful, via the Madrid Zone, "If Vini didn't score, I wouldn't have subbed him out. I knew that he was booed sometimes by the fans last season, so I decided to sub him out to let him hear love from the fans after he scored, and then rest a bit."
That is top, top man management from Mourinho, and it shows exactly why Florentino Perez brought in the Portuguese legend to right this ship. It takes a special character and man manager to get the most out of this team, and Mourinho is a master psychologist who deeply understands how his players tick.
And he knows that Vinicius Jr. has to feel loved and feel the love from the fans. He thrives off love and is an emotional player. The coldness of the fans, the fiery racism of the opposition all throw him off his game, but the love of the Madridistas keeps him going. And his best season have been those where he feels the love from those around him.
Jose Mourinho is intent on harnessing this, and the gesture he made is similar to what Carlo Ancelotti used to do when Vini Jr. and Real Madrid were winning Champions Leagues. Mou knows what he's doing, and he knows how to help Vinicius shine again.
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