Mourinho talks about the impact of the China crisis on Mbappe and settles Vinicius's fate after the suspension
The Portuguese coach: Mbappé is very intelligent and I need Vinícius
José Mourinho has leapt to the defence of Kylian Mbappé amid the storm over his recent crisis linked to China and the use of artificial intelligence to fake facial images. The Real Madrid manager praised the way the Frenchman handled Harry Kane's winning of the 2026 Ballon d'Or, before clarifying his position on Vinícius Júnior and his future in the starting line-up.
Speaking at today's press conference ahead of Sunday's La Liga trip to Racing Santander, Mourinho left no doubt about his faith in how his club and his French star had responded to the crisis with China.
The Portuguese said, in remarks reported by the Spanish newspaper "AS": "What I feel is reassurance, because the club I belong to is Real Madrid, and the player I have in my team is Kylian Mbappé. Real Madrid and Mbappé showed class in their immediate reaction, and I feel that I represent them completely."
Mourinho: Mbappé is very intelligent
Had the off-field events taken a toll on the striker? Mourinho was adamant they had not. "No. Kylian is very intelligent and mature, has very high self-confidence, and at the same time possesses class."
On the way the French star reacted to Kane's crowning, he added: "The way he dealt with Harry winning the Ballon d'Or, I saw nothing in it but class and respect. There is a difference between knowing you are the best and respecting another person who has given a great deal to win an award."
Turning to the China row, the manager cast it as a warning for the modern age, with its risk of technology being abused. "This is one of the dangers of today's world, where the best thing you can do in many cases is not to open your mouth, because there are risks surrounding many of the things you say or comment on."
Both Mbappé and the club, he said, had handled the matter responsibly and with class. "On our part, the matter is over. We have nothing more to do beyond that."
"Vinícius? I want him and I need him"
Would he line up with Federico Valverde at full-back, Bernardo Silva in midfield and a specialist on the left wing? Mourinho denied he was settling on a fixed eleven or weighing up Vinícius Júnior's situation in isolation.
"I do not think about Vinícius's individual situation, and I do not have a fixed starting line-up," he said. "The line-up I rely on today may differ in two weeks."
Modern football, he explained, makes it hard to lean on the same group week after week. "Football today is not as it was 20 years ago. It has become more intense and faster, and the physical demands are far greater. For that reason, it has become very difficult to determine a team's starting line-up simply by naming the players, as used to happen in the past."
He prefers players with different characteristics in midfield, Mourinho noted, though he stressed this comes down to his playing philosophy rather than any pecking order of starters and substitutes.
What of Vinícius right now? "Vinícius's situation now is very simple. He is not playing in the league (because of the suspension), but he is taking part in the Champions League. And I want him, I want him a lot. I hope this ban ends quickly, because I want him and I need him."
That said, the manager was careful not to promise an instant return to the first eleven once the suspension lifts. "This does not mean that I am saying he will be a starter, but he will not be a problem either. He is a great player whom we will have within a very good group."
Had Real Madrid become more balanced without Vinícius in the side? Mourinho batted the idea away, insisting his aim is a cohesive team whether players start or sit on the bench.
He signed off with a clear mission statement. "I see a group working to become one team, whether it concerns the players who feature or those who remain off the pitch. We work according to a unified playing model, in terms of pressing, where the lines are positioned and the way attacks are built. This team is developing, and after that you can change two or three players without it being affected. That is the aim."
