Mourinho Defends Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé Amid Whistles

Real Madrid boss José Mourinho has moved to shield Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé after both forwards were whistled by sections of the Santiago Bernabéu crowd in midweek.

Madrid return home on Saturday to face Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, still carrying the sting of a league defeat to Real Betis but buoyed by a gruelling Champions League win over Inter Milan. The victory steadied the mood. The reaction in the stands did not.

Mourinho defends his stars

During that European night, parts of the Bernabéu turned on two of the club’s biggest names. Vinícius and Mbappé, central to Madrid’s attack and image, found themselves jeered by their own supporters.

On Friday, Mourinho chose his words carefully but stood firm behind them.

"In Portugal there is a proverb: you only throw stones at trees that have fruit," he said, quoted by 20Minutos. "You are not going to throw stones at a tree that gives you nothing."

He then anchored the proverb directly to Vinícius.

"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 message was clear: the whistles come because expectations are sky-high, not because the players are emptying the shirt.

Mbappé’s “animal” shift

Mourinho then turned to Mbappé, highlighting not a goal or a dribble, but a defensive sprint.

He praised the French forward for his work in the closing stages against Inter, when Madrid were down to ten men and clinging on.

He described Mbappé defending "like an animal" on the left wing, tracking back alongside Marc Cucurella in the 90th minute.

"I use the same proverb as I did for Vinícius," Mourinho continued. "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."

That image – Mbappé, out on his feet, still chasing and tackling – is exactly what Mourinho wants the Bernabéu to remember when the whistles start.

A demanding coach, a clear line

Mourinho did not hide that the reaction from the stands hurt him.

He admitted it makes him sad when supporters turn on their own players, but he drew a hard line: anyone who gives everything on the pitch will have his protection, mistakes or not.

To underline that point, he referenced comments from young defender Dean Huijsen, who had previously labelled him demanding.

"I’ve read comments from Huijsen saying I’m a real pain, that I’m always on his case, and that’s somewhat true," Mourinho said. "The expectation is that you give everything you have; and whoever gives everything isn't obliged to give more."

For Mourinho, that is the pact. Maximum effort in exchange for unwavering support.

"When there is unity between team and stadium," he added, "you are almost unbeatable."

With Rayo Vallecano next at the Bernabéu, the question now is simple: will the whistles return, or will Madrid walk into a stadium ready to back its “fruitful trees” when it matters most?