Jose Mourinho says he would have left Real Madrid in the summer if he was Vinicius Jr

Vinicius Jr. will not be available for Real Madrid’s clash against Barcelona on October 25 after receiving a four-match ban after being sent off during a league game against Villarreal. | Photo Credit: AFP

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho on Saturday said that if he were Vinicius Jr., he would have left the club ahead of this season.

The Brazilian winger has been targeted regularly by opposition players and fans over the years and has also endured racial abuse since joining Real Madrid in 2018.

To make things worse for himself, he was sent off during Real Madrid’s league game against Villarreal last week and was handed a four-match ban, which means that he will not feature in the El Clasico against Barcelona on October 25.

“He’s a spectacular kid who it’s easy to have a good relationship with,” Mourinho told reporters about Vinicius.

“He’s a fantastic boy; tremendous credit to him for the fact that he keeps living and surviving and still having a smile. If it were me in his place, probably I wouldn’t be here. In this last summer, I would have forced an exit to a league, a country, to somewhere there are rival clubs and stadiums that respect him,” he added.

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The 26-year-old was linked with Arsenal over the summer before he penned a new contract which kept him at Real Madrid till 2032, a move that Mourinho believes shows Vinicius’ love for the club.

“Because he loves Real Madrid, for loving the club and the city, for believing that things can always improve, he renewed, and he keeps on smiling,” Mourinho said.

“No one or nobody can... well, influence him negatively, yes, because he’s human... but take away his joy of living and working and being with his teammates, no, no one can do that,” he added.