‘Not at his best’ – Jose Mourinho defends Vinicius Junior after Real Madrid star is booed by Bernabeu crowd during Inter win

Addressing the media after the final whistle, Mourinho acknowledged that Vinicius is currently out of form but highlighted the player’s relentless defensive efforts. The Portuguese tactician insisted the winger was simply suffering from fatigue late in the contest.

“He isn’t at his best, and he knows it,” Mourinho stated during his post-match press conference. “But he’s working hard to be the Vinicius who decides games. Without being at his best, he’s working harder than ever.

“In the moments that he wasn’t able to drop back and defend, it was because of fatigue. I have to value that a lot. I have a lot of respect for this Vinicius. The time will come when he decides games, and wins us games.”

Mourinho maintained faith in the attacker’s ability to turn his fortunes around, pointing to the tactical difficulties posed by Inter’s wing-back system.

“If he works, he’ll always have my support,” he added. “He worked very hard for the team. Playing against a side that plays with three at the back, with wing-backs, it’s very hard for the wingers.

“Obviously with the one-on-ones he had on the left wing, with Vini at his best, he’d kill the game. That’s what we expect of him. But he gave everything.”