‘People throw stones at trees with fruit’ – Jose Mourinho defends Real Madrid stars Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe after Bernabeu whistles
Mourinho used a traditional Portuguese proverb to explain why supporters were targeting two of Madrid’s most prominent players. He called on fans to recognise what both attackers bring to the side.
“In Portugal there is a proverb: you only throw stones at trees that have fruit,” Mourinho stated, as quoted by 20Minutos. “You are not going to throw stones at a tree that gives you nothing. What Vini has done here in recent years, how many Champions Leagues he has won, how many goals he has scored, he is a tree that has a lot of fruit. People throw stones because they want fruit, they want the best from Vinicius.”
The manager also highlighted Mbappe’s defensive commitment against Inter. He praised the Frenchman for defending “like an animal” on the left wing alongside Marc Cucurella in the 90th minute while operating with ten men.
“I use the same proverb as I did for Vinícius,” Mourinho added. “There are things I see and value highly. I watched a team playing in the 90th minute, down to ten men for the final two minutes, and I saw Mbappe playing as a left-winger, defending while a man down, covering for Cucurella, who was already dead on his feet.
“Kylian was exhausted too, yet he spent those two minutes defending the left flank like an animal, urged on by a very demanding coach who wouldn’t stop shouting and motivating him.”
