{
  "id": 6818972,
  "title": "Mourinho: “Right now we have a Vinícius Júnior who is working harder than ever”",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/mourinho-right-now-we-have-a-vinicius-junior-who-is-working-harder",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-11T23:18:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mourinho-now-vin-cius-j-231814353.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Real Madrid coach José Mourinho defended star player Vinícius Júnior during a press conference ahead of their match against Rayo Vallecano. He said, \"In Spanish, the word proverb is used. In Portugal there’s a proverb, I don’t know if there’s an identical or similar one in Spain: you only throw stones at trees that have fruit; you don’t throw stones at a tree that has nothing on it. And Vinícius Júnior has a lot of fruit.\" Mourinho went on to praise Vinícius's hard work and record-breaking performances, including his speed and number of balls recovered. He expressed optimism about Vinícius's future potential, stating, \"The best version of Vinícius Júnior is still going to come.\" Mourinho also addressed the team's preparation and their opponent, saying, \"We’re happy, united, and working well. Obviously, working well also means recovering well, and today we did our tactical training. We’re happy, united, and working well. Obviously, working well also means recovering well, and today we did our tactical training. Obviously, it wasn’t very intense and it was for a short period of time, but we have a lot of respect for our opponent.\" Mourinho also shared his thoughts on hosting the 2030 World Cup final in Lisbon and the committee's defense of the penalty decision against Betis, emphasizing the importance of unity among referees. When asked about player rotations, Mourinho declined to reveal specific lineup details, focusing instead on the upcoming match and the need for fresh energy.",
  "summary": "He spoke before playing Rayo Vallecano",
  "key_points": [
    "Mourinho praises Vinícius Júnior's hard work and record-breaking performances.",
    "Coach optimistic about Vinícius's future potential at Real Madrid.",
    "Team confident and united ahead of Rayo Vallecano match."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}