Mourinho spoke about Vinícius Jr.'s situation, which worries the club due to the whistles received at the Bernabéu. The white coach used a Portuguese proverb to defend the player: "You only throw stones at trees that have fruit," suggesting that criticism is a sign that the player is valuable.
Mourinho questioned what Vinícius has done in recent years for Real Madrid, recalling how many Champions Leagues he won and how many goals he scored. He argued that the Brazilian is "a tree with lots of fruit" and that people throw stones because they want fruit, meaning they expect great performances from him.
The coach stated that the best Vinícius is yet to come, referring specifically to last year's player, when the Bernabéu was in awe against Benfica and the Brazilian ended up eliminating the tie. Mourinho believes that level is close to returning.
Mourinho also mentioned data and statistics, stating that Vinícius is very close to his top speed. According to the coach, the player broke his own records in high-intensity sprints, in ball recoveries, and in ball recoveries in the final third of the pitch.
