Jose Mourinho has said that if he were in Vinicius Jr's position, he would have left Real Madrid for 'a country where they'd respect him' over the summer. The Brazilian forward was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, but instead signed a new six-year contract with the Spanish giants.
Vinicius Jr's Career at Real Madrid
The 26-year-old has been with Real Madrid since 2018, approaching 400 games for the club and winning two Champions League titles and two La Liga titles. There appeared to be a serious chance he would join the Premier League champions in the last transfer window, and Mourinho says he would have taken that opportunity.
Speaking about the situation, Mourinho said: 'If I were in his place, I probably wouldn't be here. Last summer I would have forced my exit to a league, to a country, to clubs and stadiums where they'd respect him.'
Mourinho's Criticism of the Ban
The Real Madrid boss believes the Brazilian is not shown enough respect in Spain, particularly regarding a four-match ban. Vinicius Jr received 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 found baffling. He added: '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.'
Conspiracy Claims
Mourinho hinted at a conspiracy against his player, questioning the timing of the ban announcement. He said: '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.'
