Mourinho defended Mbappé and Vinícius after boos from Real fans
In Madrid, Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho defended Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior after home supporters at the Bernabéu stadium booed both footballers. The manager compared the players to fruit trees which, according to a Portuguese proverb, are pelted with stones precisely because they bear fruit.
MyJoyOnline reported on Mourinho's reaction. Mbappé opened the scoring in the Champions League match against Inter, which Real Madrid won 2-1. With this goal, the Frenchman moved level into fifth place on the tournament's all-time top scorers list.
Comments on Vinícius
Mourinho said that Vinícius' achievements in recent years speak for themselves. He mentioned the Brazilian's Champions League victories, his goals and his actions in winning the ball back. According to the coach, the statistics show that the winger is close to his best form and has already set certain records.
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Both footballers were criticised for insufficient defensive work. At the same time, Mourinho believes that critics want to take advantage of Mbappé and Vinícius' success.
Assessment of Mbappé
Speaking about Mbappé, the coach repeated the fruit-tree metaphor and stressed that a player who scores more than 40 goals for the team cannot be a problem. Last season, the Frenchman scored 42 goals in 44 matches for the club and became one of the nominees for the Ballon d'Or. Mourinho also highly praised his off-the-ball play and attitude on the pitch.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balagué suggested that one reason for the home crowd's dissatisfaction could have been Real Madrid's lack of trophies last year. According to him, some fans may have remembered that Mbappé turned down the Madrid club several times before joining. Balagué also noted that Vinícius worked hard off the ball but feels pressure because of the fans' attitude.
