Mourinho: Vinicius didn't renew his contract thanks to me, and my thoughts on the Negreira case

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho appeared in an extensive interview with renowned journalist Josep Pedrerol on the program "El Chiringuito," where he discussed Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius' contract renewal, and the Negreira case.

The coach commented on Kylian Mbappé: "He is too good. He is an exceptional player and above the ordinary. It is not my place to judge or analyze what he did last season. It was a strange season and a difficult one for everyone. In the end, it’s always the same story. Arbeloa and Xabi paid the price for others' mistakes. I always say that winning or losing is multifactorial. I said that on the first day to everyone at Valdebebas, not just the players: I do not accept that one personality bears the blame or receives all the applause alone. That does not suit me. Many failed last season, and it wasn't just the coaches or the players."

He continued: "When you talk to me about Mbappé, I prefer to think about what Kylian can be right now. A player who could have arrived on August 14, but he came on the 12th, and that tells me something. The reason he wanted to come on the 12th is that he wants to play against Schalke while being at least somewhat ready. Then he trains like everyone else, with the same commitment, and the same will to improve, in tough training sessions."

Regarding Vinicius' contract renewal: "Did Vinicius renew his contract thanks to you? No... What? Thanks to me? I spoke with him, but Vinicius has fallen in love with Real Madrid. The only thing I told him was: 'Vini, where do you want to go? You've only lived in Brazil and only know Real Madrid... You don't realize the value of Real Madrid until you leave. When you leave... you truly understand what Real Madrid is. Don't leave. It's not worth it. I think what he felt in terms of the group's development, and the way we were working and evolving, gave him a very important feeling. And this Vinicius is another engine; it's very enjoyable to watch him work. We have a lot of quality.'

Regarding the incident involving Vinicius and Bristiani last season: "Bristiani was my player, and that's it, there's no discussion. If Bristiani is my player... 20 players can come, and I will stand by Bristiani, there’s no other story. I believe Vinicius knows that now, he knows which side I stand on, and he knows he can look at me and count on me to be by his side. The other day, when he didn’t get a clear penalty at the Bernabeu, I was in the middle of the pitch fighting for him. And he knows I will always be by his side."

He emphasized: "I think people are the ones who need to learn how to deal with him, and I'm also talking about the referees. Vinicius is a player like others; you can't award a penalty if the player is Pedrirol... then not award it just because it concerns Vinicius. You can't protect Mourinho and not protect Vinicius; people need to look at him beyond being a nice person or less nice. You have to see Vinicius on the pitch as a player like any other. But he is better than the others."

He continued, "I spoke a little with Vinicius about celebrating on the pitch. There is a difference between celebrating a goal with your fans and celebrating in front of the opposing team's fans. You can find a kind of balance, but what does it mean for an entire stadium to boo one of the best players in the world without him having anything against them? You go to play a friendly match in La Coruña or against Schalke, and I don't think Vinicius has ever played against Schalke in the past or against Deportivo. Why boo him the first time he touches the ball?"

In discussing the Negreira case, he stated: "When I was here (during my first term), I could smell something."