Jose Mourinho has revealed that he played a part in convincing Vinicius Jr to remain at Real Madrid after the Brazilian winger considered his future at the club.
Vinicius, 26, had entered the final year of his previous contract and was attracting interest from Arsenal, but ultimately agreed a new six-year deal with the Spanish giants earlier this month.
Mourinho, who returned to Real Madrid for a second spell as manager in June, said he advised Vinicius against leaving the Bernabeu.
The Portuguese coach told the forward that he would only fully appreciate Real Madrid’s stature if he experienced life away from the club, urging him to remain in Spain and continue his career in Madrid.
An incident has also shaped the relationship between Mourinho and Vinicius during last season’s Champions League campaign.
Mourinho was managing Benfica when allegations of racial abuse were made against one of his players, Gianluca Prestianni, during a match against Real Madrid involving Vinicius.
Prestianni denied the allegations, while UEFA later handed him a suspension for homophobic conduct.
Mourinho also revealed that Real Madrid had held discussions with Spain midfielder Rodri before the 30-year-old eventually joined Barcelona in a £65m transfer from Manchester City.
According to Mourinho, Rodri had doubts about moving to Madrid, which in turn made the manager question whether the midfielder was fully committed to the move. Real eventually ended their pursuit before Barcelona completed the deal.
The Portuguese manager is now preparing for his second stint at Real Madrid, having previously guided the club to La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup success between 2010 and 2013.
Mourinho believes he has returned to the Spanish capital as a more experienced and controlled coach after spells with Manchester United, Tottenham, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Roma and other clubs.
Despite acknowledging that he is less emotional than during his first spell, Mourinho insists his personality and passion remain unchanged.
The 63-year-old says his experience has helped him learn from past mistakes without losing the competitive character that has defined his career, promising that his new era at Real Madrid will be more mature but not less entertaining.
Daniel Ademiju Idowu
