“Stones are only thrown at trees that bear fruit.” That was Jose Mourinho’s message after Vinícius Júnior was booed again by sections of the Real Madrid crowd during the Champions League win over Inter Milan. Mourinho also said, “People throw stones because they want fruit. And the best Vinicius is still to come.”

Mourinho's defence of Vinicius Junior

The line from Mourinho is plain enough. He is not arguing that the whistles are pleasant, only that they come because Vinicius still matters to Madrid. He has started every match under Mourinho this season and has one goal and two assists across his opening five appearances.

That is a modest attacking return for a player Madrid lean on so heavily, but it is not the profile of someone being pushed out of the side. Mourinho also said Vinicius is “very close to his maximum speed”, adding that he has broken his records for high-intensity runs and for balls recovered in the final third.

The wider point is that Madrid are asking for output and patience at the same time. Vinicius has scored 129 goals in 380 appearances since arriving in 2018, and the club have reportedly built around “Vinicius and 10 others”.

The partnership problem with Mbappé

The other issue hanging over Madrid is not the boos, it is the fit with Kylian Mbappé. Mourinho’s attacking priority is making the pair function together as a truly dangerous combination, while balancing Vinicius on the left with Mbappé’s preference to move centrally.

Mbappé has only four La Liga appearances, so the relationship is still being formed rather than judged as finished. Mourinho’s praise for Mbappé’s defensive work against Manchester City in the late stages of a match against Barcelona was part of that broader picture, but the central question remains the same: can Madrid get both stars into their best spaces without crowding the same lanes?

Mourinho’s public line is clear, and it is the one Madrid will hear again before Saturday’s La Liga meeting with Rayo Vallecano. Vinicius is still starting, still producing, and still being treated as a player worth protecting rather than parking.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →