José Mourinho declared Friday at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground that he will “never harm the team to benefit a player,” the club’s coach insisting that collective interests always come above any individual when Vinícius Júnior serves the fourth and final match of his La Liga suspension against Valencia at Mestalla on Saturday, elmundo.es reported.
The Portuguese manager addressed reporters less than 48 hours after Real Madrid’s Champions League match in Athens, where Vinícius started, and ahead of a weekend league fixture Mourinho himself called “one of the most difficult of the entire Liga.” Vinícius will not play for Real Madrid again until November 21 against Celta Vigo following the international break, according to elmundo.es.
Team Over Individual: Mourinho’s Vinícius Stance
Asked how the team’s style and tactics change when the Brazilian is on the pitch, Mourinho was unequivocal. “For me, the most important thing is the team. I will never harm the team to benefit a player,” he said, per europapress.es. “When we return to normality with Vinícius, I will do my management.”
Mourinho added that a coach must do everything to keep players at their maximum level, trying different strategies of play and personal management. “A bad player will always be a bad player, and a very good one, even in his negative moments, leaves the door open to return to his normal situation,” he said, as reported by elmundo.es. “That is why we continue working with all possible strategies; there is one that is very important to me, which is the friendship of his teammates, all without exception,” europapress.es added.
Vinícius, who played in Athens, will miss Saturday’s league match as he completes a four-match domestic suspension. His return is scheduled for November 21 against Celta, elmundo.es confirmed.
Mestalla Trip: A “Very Difficult” Test
Mourinho previewed the Saturday 9 p.m. kickoff at Mestalla as a severe test against a fresh opponent. “It is a difficult coach, with a lot of experience,” he said of Valencia’s bench, according to us.marca.com. “It is easy to understand that tomorrow Konaté and Huijsen will play, and I will try to distribute minutes among the players who can be rotated.”
The Real Madrid manager admitted he was wary of the fixture. “I am afraid of the match. ‘Afraid,’ in quotes. It is against a fresh team that has had the whole week to prepare,” he said, per elmundo.es. Europa Press quoted him adding that his worry was the difficulty of the match itself, while national team duty was not a problem as long as coaches respected the minutes they gave players.
Overnight Stay at Valdebebas After 3 a.m. Arrival
Real Madrid returned from Athens at 3 a.m. Friday and the entire squad and staff stayed overnight at the Valdebebas training complex to gain extra sleep, Mourinho said. “We arrived at three in the morning and we stayed here to sleep to have a couple more hours of rest. The feedback is positive and tomorrow we will see,” he told reporters, according to elmundo.es.
Mourinho also offered an ironic nod to the league’s scheduling decision to play Saturday, which gives national team players Sunday off before the international break. “Thanks to the decision to play on Saturday, the players who go with their national team have Sunday free. So they go happy, they have a day off with the family, thank you very much for the decision,” he said, per elmundo.es.
Valverde’s Captaincy Draws Praise
Mourinho also spoke about Fede Valverde, saying the Uruguayan’s role as Real Madrid captain has given him a sense of responsibility, though “being captain is not something easy.” “I cannot compare him with last season’s Valverde because I did not know him, but since we started working together I have seen an optimal professional, humble, friend of his teammates,” Mourinho said, europapress.es reported. “He is a boy who is there as a good example for everyone.”
Atlético-Barcelona: “I Would Like Both to Lose”
Asked about the weekend’s other top-flight clash between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona, Mourinho said he would like both to lose, though he acknowledged that was impossible. “It is an easy match for me because someone loses points,” he said, per europapress.es. “This weekend we know one of them, or both, will leave points on the table. I don’t care.”
Vinícius Returns November 21 Against Celta
With Vinícius sidelined for Saturday’s league match, Real Madrid will look to other options in attack while managing the squad’s minutes carefully. The Brazilian’s first game back is confirmed for November 21 against Celta Vigo, elmundo.es reported, after the international break concludes.
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