Real Madrid in danger of implosion: Mourinho fears the worst
Real Madrid beat Villarreal, but the match left behind far more than just 3 points.
According to Marca, Vinicius's sending-off, Mourinho's protests, the accumulated tension and a disciplinary tally of 6 yellow cards and one red card painted exactly the picture the coach wants to avoid at all costs. He doesn't want the anger turning into a problem that rebounds on his own side.
Mourinho finished the match in an exceptional state of fury. The Portuguese went from celebrating alongside Vinicius the goal that would have given Real Madrid a 2-0 lead to putting his hands on his head when the video assistant referee technology ruled it out. Then the Brazilian was sent off.
Everything turned from there. The protests multiplied, the objections from the benches grew sharper, and Real Madrid had to hold out with 10 men.
The most telling image came after the final whistle. Mourinho decided not to appear before the media, a decision which Marca understands was aimed at avoiding comments that could expose him to a punishment and threaten his involvement in the Clasico. He chose silence over stoking a controversy that was still very much alive.
In the dressing room, the win did not erase the sense of discontent. A feeling of injustice over some of the refereeing decisions sat alongside the relief of collecting 3 important points. Even so, Mourinho knows the anger, however understandable on the part of his players, can become a double-edged sword if it starts to affect their behaviour and the level of their performances.
Vinicius's sending-off is the clearest example of what a night like this leaves behind. The Brazilian apologised to his team-mates and to the fans, but the wording of the referee's report opens the door to a punishment that could rule him out of important matches.
That is precisely the scenario Mourinho wants to avoid. He is not asking the team to forget what happened, nor does he expect the discontent to disappear overnight. He wants his players to channel their anger in the right direction without losing focus, and to stop protests, cards and emotional reactions from becoming more influential than the football itself.
The risks go beyond controversy over the refereeing or a sending-off. With a demanding season awaiting the team and decisive matches on the horizon, Real Madrid cannot allow every contentious incident to push them into a spiral of tension, punishments and attrition.
Mourinho and the club's officials will handle the refereeing issue. The team's response must come on the pitch. The idea is clear: the Portuguese coach does not want this crisis to bring the team down or damage his own project.
