Jose Mourinho Shares His 80-20 Approach to Managing Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid

After a tough Champions League win against AEK Athens, Jose Mourinho revealed how he manages Real Madrid star winger Vinicius Junior. The Portuguese coach described his approach as mostly gentle but willing to be strict when necessary.

A Hard-Earned European Victory

Madrid won 3-2 in a challenging match on the fourth matchday of the Champions League at the OPAP Arena. After the match, Mourinho discussed both the team's overall play and his specific style of managing players.

Mourinho’s Strategy with Vinicius

The standout detail from Mourinho's press briefing was his frank explanation of dealing with the Brazilian forward. When asked whether he uses a firm or soft touch, Mourinho broke it down precisely: "I would say, trying to imagine a percentage, so far, 80 per cent with the right (soft hand) and 20 per cent with the left (firm hand)," he said on the club's official site.

Tactical Flexibility and Squad Balance

Mourinho also talked about the squad’s setup, especially highlighting Yan Diomande's adaptability across the front line. He mentioned that Diomande was brought to Madrid to operate on both wings, offering fluidity alongside Vinicius.

"Vinícius didn’t provoke anything," Mourinho noted. "Diomande comes to Real Madrid more to be a player who can play on both wings rather than solely on one. Diomande doesn’t care at all. He plays with different characteristics, but being on the right or left doesn’t change anything for him."

Regarding Vinicius' performance, Mourinho commented, "Vini had a very acceptable match - not an extraordinary one, but the team didn’t have an extraordinary match. The team had a tough, serious game, and Vinícius, in that line, performed very well."

The coach also explained his decisions during substitutions, considering the upcoming match against Valencia: "Obviously, when it’s time to make changes in a match with an uncertain result, I have to think about the result, but at the same time, I have to think a little about Valencia; taking off Diomande and not Vinícius; taking off Bernardo [Silva] and not [Eduardp] Camavinga, because Tchouameni will play in Valencia. When making some changes, I also considered the match we have on Saturday."

Focus Turns to the Valencia Clash

Following this European test, Madrid now turns their attention to La Liga with a crucial trip to Mestalla against Valencia scheduled for Saturday.