Overview
- Jose Mourinho publicly defended Vinicius after the Champions League win over Inter, praising his work‑rate and saying the winger is "not at his best" but will again decide matches.
- Sections of the Santiago Bernabeu booed Vinicius when he was substituted, prompting concern inside the squad that the crowd treatment is harming his confidence.
- An unnamed senior teammate told Mourinho the dressing room must "make him happy again," showing that teammates have moved from private worry to an active show of support.
- Vinicius produced strong defensive numbers in the Inter match, including multiple ball recoveries, yet his decisive attacking output has remained inconsistent this season.
- The club recently extended Vinicius's contract and views him as central to long‑term plans, which leaves Mourinho and the dressing room focused on protecting the player while they try to rebalance an attack built around Vinicius, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.