Mourinho declines to call Vinícius a regular starter and says coaching Harry Kane was an honour

Real Madrid coach José Mourinho spoke ahead of the club’s away match against Racing Santander in the eleventh round of the Spanish league. He said the match would be difficult, noting that Racing had not lost at home this season and that the game would test the depth of Real Madrid’s squad amid a run of away fixtures.

Speaking about the Ballon d’Or, which Harry Kane won ahead of Kylian Mbappé, Mourinho said it had been an honour to work with the Bayern Munich striker. He said he was disappointed that Mbappé had not won, but was happy for Kane and felt he deserved the award. He also praised Mbappé, expressed surprise that Jude Bellingham had finished in eleventh place, and did not mention Vinícius when discussing the nominees.

Mourinho spoke positively about the spirit and maturity of Real Madrid’s players, saying the team’s ambition went beyond winning El Clásico to claiming the league title. He added that he did not rely on a fixed starting lineup, and that Vinícius was suspended in the league but played in the Champions League. He said he admired Vinícius’s ability and that the team needed him, without describing him as a regular starter.

The coach said he was saddened by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s limited playing time, explaining that he had preferred to use Federico Valverde in his position for the good of the team, and that Alexander-Arnold and Dumfries had accepted his point of view. He added that all the players would get opportunities to play amid the congested schedule, suspensions, injuries and fatigue.

Mourinho rejected the suggestion that his team were better without Vinícius, saying that what he saw was the team’s unity and consistent level, regardless of which players took part. He also described his style as balanced, citing the Real Madrid team with which he earned one hundred points in the league and scored more than one hundred goals.

Regarding Mbappé, Mourinho said the player and Real Madrid had handled what he described as his crisis with China with class and apologised quickly. He praised Mbappé for showing respect to his opponent after losing the Ballon d’Or. He also complained about the scheduling of matches and the resulting reduction in rest periods, saying the team would deal with it.