Mourinho Defends Vinicius and Mbappe Ahead of Rayo Vallecano Clash

Real Madrid return to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday needing calm as much as points. Rayo Vallecano arrive in La Liga, but the noise around the stadium is already loud enough.

A league defeat to Real Betis, then a gruelling Champions League win over Inter Milan: the results have swung, the tension hasn’t. Even that European victory came with an edge. Parts of the Bernabeu turned on their own, whistling Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe during the match.

On Friday, José Mourinho stepped in front of the microphones and, as so often in his career, put himself between his stars and the storm.

Mourinho’s proverb and his forwards under fire

Mourinho did not lash out at the supporters. He chose something else: a proverb from home.

"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."

The message was obvious. Vinicius is not just another forward having a quiet night.

"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."

That was Mourinho’s line in the sand. Criticism exists because expectations are sky-high, but he wanted the fans to remember exactly what they were whistling.

He then turned the same logic towards Mbappe.

Mbappe “like an animal” in defence

The Frenchman has been judged almost exclusively by what he does in front of goal. Mourinho chose the opposite angle, zooming in on the final minutes against Inter, when Madrid were down to ten men and hanging on.

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

For Mourinho, those two minutes mattered as much as any goal. They were proof, in his eyes, that his marquee forward is fully invested in the collective effort, not just the highlight reel.

Demanding, emotional, and all-in

Mourinho did not hide his feelings about the whistles. They sting.

He admitted he feels sad when home supporters turn on their own players, but he made one point absolutely clear: as long as his players empty the tank, he will stand with them.

The Portuguese coach even brought up comments from young defender Dean Huijsen, who recently described him as 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."

That is the pact as Mourinho sees it. He pushes, sometimes relentlessly. In return, he offers total protection to those who respond with maximum effort, regardless of the mistakes they make along the way.

One final line framed the challenge ahead of Rayo’s visit and the rest of the season.

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

On Saturday, the Bernabeu will show whether it wants to throw more stones at its fruit trees – or help them grow.