Mourinho calls Vini’s performance “very acceptable” after AEK victory

“Vini had a very acceptable game,” José Mourinho said after the victory over AEK. The coach defended Vinicius’s performance while explaining that his substitutions reflected both the course of the match and the need to manage players ahead of Saturday’s trip to Mestalla to face Valencia.

“I thought Vinicius looked good; he had a good game,” Mourinho said. He explained that he wanted to bring fresh energy to the flank with two changes, including the introductions of Álvaro and Brahim. His decision to take Diomande off before Vinicius, while keeping Camavinga on, was also part of preparing for the next match: Tchouaméni will play in Valencia, he said. “When the game is open, you have to think about the result, but also a little about the game against Valencia,” the coach explained.

Mourinho’s defence of Vinicius came after a hard-fought win. Following Real Madrid’s victory in Athens, secured by a Valverde goal in stoppage time, he praised his team’s response at key moments. He said they had reacted after falling behind before finding a late winner. Of the decisive goal, he simply remarked: “Fede has that ability.”

The coach also paid tribute to AEK, describing them as well-organised, intense and dangerous. In his view, the opposition produced an outstanding performance and prevented his team from playing a perfect match. Mourinho stressed that both sides kept pushing for a win when the score was 2-2. His team took risks and, he said, the points secured a place in the play-offs.

The next objective is to avoid those play-offs. Mourinho said his team had 12 points and was qualified, but still needed “seven or eight points” to finish among the top eight in the league phase and avoid two extra matches. He also noted that, at 2-2, his team could have settled for the result and its 10 points, but chose to pursue more.

Mourinho also defended his options on the flanks. He said Diomande could play on either side and insisted that Vinicius had not caused Diomande to be moved. “Vini had a very acceptable game, not an extraordinary one,” he said, adding that the team’s overall display had not been exceptional either, but that the Brazilian had done his job well within it.

Finally, Mourinho spoke about Valverde, whom he considers important to the team. Before the AEK match, he had said the original plan was to use him in midfield, but that a lack of options in that area meant he would have to cover different roles. Asked how long he needed to bring his team to perfection, he replied: “Three years.”