Mourinho Defends Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé Amidst Fan Whistles

Real Madrid boss José Mourinho has moved to shield Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé after both were whistled by sections of the Santiago Bernabéu crowd in midweek, insisting he will stand firmly behind players who empty the tank for the team.

Madrid return to the Bernabéu on Saturday to face Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, carrying a mixed run of form into the game. A bruising league defeat to Real Betis was followed by a draining but vital Champions League win over Inter Milan – a night that should have ended in celebration, but instead exposed a rift between part of the fanbase and two of the club’s biggest stars.

Mourinho defends his forwards

Vinícius and Mbappé both heard whistles ring out from the stands during the Inter clash, a reaction that did not go unnoticed. Speaking in his Friday press conference, Mourinho responded with a mix of calm authority and pointed loyalty.

He reached for a saying from home to explain why the spotlight, and the criticism, is falling so heavily on his forwards.

“In Portugal there is a proverb: you only throw stones at trees that have fruit,” Mourinho said, as quoted by 20Minutos. “You are not going to throw stones at a tree that gives you nothing. What Vini has done here in recent years, how many Champions Leagues he has won, how many goals he has scored, he is a tree that has a lot of fruit. People throw stones because they want fruit, they want the best from Vinicius.”

The message was clear: the whistles are landing on the players who carry the most weight, the ones expected to decide titles. And Mourinho wants the crowd to remember exactly what they have already delivered.

He urged supporters to recognise the value both attackers bring, not just in highlight moments but in the unseen work that often goes unnoticed when the pressure rises.

“Like an animal”: Mbappé’s late defensive shift

Mourinho then turned to Mbappé, picking out a sequence late in the win over Inter as the perfect example of what he demands from his stars.

He praised the Frenchman’s defensive shift on the left flank, working in tandem with Marc Cucurella as Madrid finished the game with ten men.

“I use the same proverb as I did for Vinícius,” Mourinho continued. “There are things I see and value highly. I watched a team playing in the 90th minute, down to ten men for the final two minutes, and I saw Mbappe playing as a left-winger, defending while a man down, covering for Cucurella, who was already dead on his feet.

Kylian was exhausted too, yet he spent those two minutes defending the left flank like an animal, urged on by a very demanding coach who wouldn't stop shouting and motivating him.”

That image – Mbappé, shattered, sprinting back to protect his full-back – is exactly the kind of detail Mourinho wanted to plant in the minds of the supporters who jeered him. For the coach, those two minutes say as much about the player as any goal.

A demanding coach, an unshakeable backing

Mourinho did not hide his disappointment at hearing Madrid fans turn on their own players. He admitted it makes him “sad” when whistles target those in white shirts, but he drew a hard line: if a player gives everything, he will defend him without hesitation, mistakes and all.

The Portuguese coach even referenced recent remarks from defender Dean Huijsen, who described him as demanding and constantly on his case.

“I’ve read comments from Huijsen saying I’m a real pain, that I’m always on his case, and that’s somewhat true,” Mourinho said. “The expectation is that you give everything you have; and whoever gives everything isn't obliged to give more. When there is unity between team and stadium, you are almost unbeatable.”

That last sentence doubles as both a warning and a challenge. Madrid now head into another Bernabéu afternoon with the league campaign finely poised and tensions humming under the surface.

The question is no longer just how Vinícius and Mbappé will respond. It’s whether the Bernabéu will stand with them when it matters most.