Madrid [Spain], September 12 (ANI): Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho backed star player Vinicius Jr. amid fan backlash, saying that his best is "yet to come" and people throw "stones at a tree which is bearing plenty of fruit".
Mourinho was speaking ahead of his side's clash at home against Rayo Vallecano scheduled for Sunday. Vinicius Jr was booed by fans over a lack of precision as he left the pitch during his side's 2-1 win over Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League without a goal or assist. He has scored only one goal in five appearances for the club this season.
Speaking ahead of the match, as quoted by ESPN, Mourinho said, "There is a Portuguese proverb that you only throw stones at trees that have fruit. What Vini has done here in recent years, the Champions League he's won, the many goals he has scored. His achievements speak for themselves.
"He is a tree bearing plenty of fruit. And people are throwing stones because they want fruit. And the best Vinícius is yet to come," he added.
Mourinho recalled Vinicius's performance against Benfica in the previous UEFA CL, the team he was coaching prior to returning to Real Madrid. The superstar striker managed two goals across both home and away legs of the UEFA Champions League play-off.
"The Vini we saw last year, when the Bernabéu was on edge against Benfica, and he sealed the tie," he said.
"That Vinícius is yet to come. In an age of data and statistics, he is very close to his top speed. He has broken his own records for high-intensity runs, for balls won back, and for balls won back in the final third... He is going to get there," he added.
Mourinho also said that fans need to get behind the team and the player for them to be stronger.
"It makes me sad when they whistle to any player, but I do not want to judge or criticise. But from my experience -- and not just at Real Madrid -- when there is a bond between the team and the stadium, it is, I do not want to say, unbeatable, but almost unbeatable. When you work as a team with the stadium, you are unbeatable. Yet every stadium, at some point, has the right to react," he said.
Mourinho agreed with Kylian Mbappe, who was earlier criticised over his defensive commitment at the club, saying that someone who scores 40 goals each season "is not a problem for the team". Mbappe was the top-scorer in La Liga last season and has scored five goals in five matches this season so far for the team.
"Kylian is right: a player who scores 40 goals every season isn't a problem for the team," Mourinho said.
"Mbappé is also a tree that has plenty of fruit. I have seen Kylian drop back to the 10-yard line to help Marc Cucurella while a very demanding manager was shouting at him. I really value that sort of behaviour...We share that spirit and commitment to working for Madrid. We will do everything we can to make the fans happy," he signed off. (ANI)
"People throw stones at a tree that has fruit": Mourinho defends Vinicius Jr ahead of Real Madrid's home clash with Rayo Vallecano
