'If I were Vinicius, I would have forced an exit from club': Real Madrid coach drops bombshell

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said on Saturday that he would have forced an exit from the club last summer if he were in Vinicius Junior's position, pointing to the repeated abuse the Brazilian winger has faced.Vinicius was sent off during Madrid's win over Villarreal last weekend for pulling an opponent's hair. He received a four-match ban as a result and will miss the Clasico against Barcelona on October 25.The 26-year-old has also been regularly targeted by opposition fans and subjected to racial abuse on several occasions since joining Madrid in 2018."He's a spectacular kid who it's easy to have a good relationship with," Mourinho told reporters."He's a fantastic boy, tremendous credit to him for the fact that he keeps living and surviving and still having a smile..."If it were me in his place, probably I wouldn't be here. In this last summer I would have forced an exit to a league, a country, to somewhere there are rival clubs and stadiums that respect him."Vinicius signed a new contract with Madrid in the summer, extending his stay at the club until 2032.Questions remain over whether Madrid can fit their attacking stars Vinicius, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham into the same team without losing balance."Because he loves Real Madrid, for loving the club and the city, for believing that things can always improve, he renewed and he keeps on smiling," continued Mourinho."No one or nobody can... well, influence him negatively yes, because he's human... but take away his joy of living and working and being with his team-mates, no, no one can do that."Mourinho substituted Vinicius during Madrid's 4-3 Champions League win at Roma on Wednesday. The winger is still trying to regain the form that helped him win the competition twice under former coach Carlo Ancelotti.Mourinho also said he was pleased that Vinicius had received a four-match ban, as he had expected the Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee to impose a longer suspension."I thought some hidden figures at the Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee would give him one or two more," Mourinho said.Madrid will face Sevilla on Sunday as they look to avoid falling further behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, who visit Real Betis later on Saturday.Barcelona, coached by Hansi Flick, have won every match this season and are six points ahead of fourth-placed MadridStay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.