Mourinho Warns Vinicius, Real Madrid Stars: No Player Is Untouchable

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has warned Vinicius Junior and the club’s other stars that no player is guaranteed a place in the team, insisting that performances on the pitch must determine selection.

Mourinho made the remarks on Tuesday ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with RB Leipzig on Wednesday. He was responding to questions about Vinicius’s position in the team amid the impressive recent form of Ivorian winger Yan Diomande.

“Only the club badge is untouchable,” Mourinho told reporters, dismissing the idea that certain players should be exempt from competition for places because of their status or reputation.

“I don’t like the concept of untouchable players,” he added, explaining that selection should be based on performance rather than a player’s reputation, leadership role, years at the club or transfer fee.

Vinicius has struggled for form this season and is serving a four-match suspension in La Liga for hair-pulling. However, he remains available for the Champions League fixture against Leipzig, with Mourinho confirming that the Brazilian would start on the left wing.

Diomande, meanwhile, has impressed in recent weeks and scored against Sevilla on Sunday during Vinicius’s absence. The winger, described in the source report as Real Madrid’s record signing at €140 million ($157 million), has strengthened his case for a regular starting role. Mourinho said he had yet to inform Diomande whether he would also feature from the start against Leipzig.

Real Madrid will enter the match seeking a third consecutive victory in the Champions League league phase. Their domestic campaign has been less convincing, with the club sitting third in La Liga, six points behind leaders Barcelona ahead of Sunday’s meeting between the rivals.

Mourinho acknowledged that the team remained some distance from his desired standard, despite having spent only three or four months working with the squad, according to his remarks. He stressed that continuous individual and collective improvement was necessary given the high expectations at Real Madrid.

The Portuguese coach, who previously managed the club from 2010 to 2013, said he understood the demands that came with the job and remained focused on improving the team. French defender Ibrahima Konate also praised Mourinho’s authority, describing him as a manager whose presence commands respect among players.