Jose Mourinho says that if he were in Vinicius Jr’s shoes, he would have left Real Madrid for ‘a country where they’d respect him’ over the summer.
Arsenal were heavily linked with a move for the Brazilian forward, but he chose to sign a new six-year contract with Real Madrid.
The 26-year-old has been with the Spanish giants since 2018, approaching 400 games for the club and with two Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles to his name.
There appeared to be a serious chance he would leave to join the Premier League champions in the last transfer window and Mourinho says he would have taken that chance, if he were Vinicius.
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The Real Madrid boss says the Brazilian is not shown enough respect in Spain, fuming over the forward receiving a four-match ban and when that punishment was announced.
Vinicius Jr was given a two-match ban for pulling the hair of Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba and a further two games for his ‘aggressive’ reaction to being sent off.
The ban was confirmed by the authorities shortly before Real Madrid played Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday, which Mourinho was baffled by.
‘If I were in his place, I probably wouldn’t be here,’ said the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss.
‘Last summer I would have forced my exit to a league, to a country, to clubs and stadiums where they’d respect him.
‘But because he’s a Madrid fan, he has love for the club and the city, he believes things can always improve, he renewed, and he’ll keep that smile.
‘I think there’s nothing or no-one that can take that away, that joy for living and working. He’s a great boy.’
Mourinho added: ‘When he signed that contract, he signed it because Madrid is his home, and Real Madrid is his home. He’s one of the main sources of joy in that dressing room.
‘What I said before was that I doubt I’d be able – as a player with lots of options – I doubt whether I’d be able to have his psychological strength, to hold on.’
Mourinho hinted at some kind of conspiracy against his player, saying: ‘You’re the journalist, but may I ask you a question? Do you think it’s normal for a player from a Spanish team to find out he’s been banned for four matches before the match even takes place?
‘This is turning into what we say in Portuguese: “a cat hiding with its tail sticking out”, and it seems to me that the cat isn’t hiding anymore – they’re doing things without any shame.
‘Do you want to “take down” a player from a Spanish team? The cat is no longer hidden.’