Real Madrid captivated by Vinicius: Mourinho draws up a plan to save "the heart of the team" | Goal.com

Published on 14 Oct 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Vinicius Junior has dipped in form and taken plenty of criticism, yet his standing inside Real Madrid remains exceptional. The club are banking on Jose Mourinho to bring the Brazilian back to his best, a task that stretches beyond the pitch to the dressing room and the world outside it.

According to a report bythe newspaper "El Mundo", recovering the best version of Vinicius has become an obsession at Real Madrid, both technically and administratively, especially as the club renewed the player's contract for 25 million euros per year over six seasons.

Club officials rate him as far more than one of the team's most prominent figures. They see him as the glue holding the dressing room together, a link between the different groups of players who enjoys strong relationships with Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde, alongside his Brazilian team-mates.

Then came the celebration against Villarreal. Mourinho joined Vinicius for a goal that was later ruled out, revealing the Portuguese coach's desire to back his player and rebuild his relationship with a Santiago Bernabeu crowd who have jeered him in most of the matches this season.

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Champions League

14 Oct 2026

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He ran towards Vinicius and celebrated wildly, a scene that spoke of a coach trying to help his forward win back the fans.

Public support is not the half of it. According to the newspaper, Mourinho has held several private conversations with Vinicius since taking charge, benefiting from the fact that they both speak Portuguese, which gives them greater space to communicate freely and clearly.

The coach asked the player to change his daily routine, particularly around rest and recovery, after noticing that he sometimes spends long hours at the Valdebebas training centre instead of going home and getting the rest he needs.

Working with the coaching staff and the player's personal fitness trainers, Real Madrid have adjusted some details of his daily programme, and Vinicius has committed to changing his habits.

Sporting and financial concern

Real Madrid's current position differs from the period in which Xabi Alonso was leaving Vinicius on the substitutes' bench, as the board now believes the player's level has clearly declined, after he appeared slow and lacking the vitality that distinguished him for years

So Mourinho inherits the job of recovering a star who represents an essential part of the club's sporting project, as well as his considerable financial value.

The plan, according to the newspaper, aims to return Vinicius to his usual level and restore his confidence in himself and in Real Madrid's fans, so that the "heart of the team" can once again have an impact on the pitch and in the dressing room.

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