Through interviews with Real Madrid sources, Athletic reported that Vinícius and Kylian Mbappé are secretly competing with each other. For instance, if one avoids defensive duties, the other follows suit passively. As a result, former Real Madrid coaching staff have stated that this tactical issue cannot be resolved unless either Vinícius or Kylian Mbappé leaves the club.

More than two years ago, Real Madrid stood atop world football. The club had just won their record 15th Champions League title. After years of pursuit, Real Madrid finally acquired Kylian Mbappé on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. At the time, bringing this universally acknowledged world-class talent to Europe's strongest team seemed to guarantee the club's future success.

Vinícius was the favourite for that year's Ballon d'Or, but ultimately Manchester City's Rodrigo won it, leaving everyone at Real Madrid disappointed. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham, who became Real Madrid's most expensive new signing ever, shone in his debut season with 23 goals.

The club, fans, and media were all captivated by the blueprint of president Florentino Pérez's latest "Galácticos" project. However, reality proved quite different. Over the past two seasons, Real Madrid has failed to win major trophies, gone through four managers, and even held an unexpected presidential election in June.

During this period, Real Madrid frequently blamed referees for defeats, but internal criticism was also widespread. The team lacked fighting spirit, and following the departures of Toni Kroos (2024) and Luka Modrić (2025), the midfield lacked creative playmakers to build and connect play. Additionally, there was insufficient coordination between the superstars.

This was most evident in the dysfunctional partnership between Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius. Sources with frequent access to the Valdebebas training ground stated, "The problem lies at the tactical level and relates to individual ambition, but it's primarily a tactical issue."

Meanwhile, a member of Real Madrid's former coaching staff recently acknowledged that "this issue cannot be resolved unless either Vinícius or Kylian Mbappé leaves the club." Like other interviewees for this article, this person chose to speak anonymously to avoid damaging relationships.

Currently, Real Madrid trails Barcelona by six points in La Liga, with the season's first Clásico scheduled for October 25. The dressing room inherited by Mourinho was chaotic last season, reaching a peak with internal conflict between Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Before the international break this season, Real Madrid lost 1-2 to Atlético Madrid, a defeat that sparked rumours of resurfacing internal tensions in Spain. However, multiple sources close to Mourinho and players within Valdebebas denied this claim. They acknowledged that the team still has room for improvement, and if results continue to decline, the internal atmosphere could deteriorate. However, they stated that current dressing room morale and player cooperation are already better than last season.

A source close to Mourinho stated, "The team's defence needs strengthening, and attacking efficiency also needs improvement. This is the direction Mourinho has focused on during the international break—internal adjustments and tactical solutions to address the team's weaknesses."

In the Atlético match at the Metropolitano, neither Kylian Mbappé nor Vinícius could score. Real Madrid has played eight matches this season, with Kylian Mbappé recording eight goals and two assists. However, in both defeats, he failed to score, and he also missed a penalty in another loss against Real Betis.

Vinícius Júnior has managed just one goal and three assists in eight matches, a statistic that is also raising concerns within the club. Multiple Spanish media outlets reported that Mourinho was considering benching the Brazilian forward, but sources close to Mourinho said he has never seriously considered sidelining Vinícius.

Following Vinícius's goal drought, various speculation circulated on social media during the international break, with some quoted by Spanish media. There was even speculation that recent cosmetic jaw surgery may have affected his pitch performance, though no evidence supports this claim. Real Madrid and Vinícius's team did not respond to Athletic's enquiries on this matter.

Off the pitch, both stars have also attracted public attention. Previously, a photo of Kylian Mbappé cycling while recovering from a knee injury during a Swiss holiday sparked controversy on social media. This was particularly notable as Mourinho had previously stated in an interview that he didn't want players cycling during their break. However, Mourinho was unconcerned as the cycling was a safe recreational ride.

Mourinho addressed this at Friday's press conference, calling various rumours about Kylian Mbappé during the international break "ridiculous," criticizing the media for sensationalizing them, and confirming that the French captain would start against Villarreal today.

This is not the first time Mbappé has drawn fan criticism for travelling during injury recovery. Some within the dressing room and at Valdebebas have heavily criticized certain actions by the 27-year-old. For example, in May this year, he travelled to Italy on holiday with his partner while nursing a hamstring injury.

On the pitch, when the two play together, it's clearly very difficult for both to perform at a high level simultaneously. In the Madrid derby, both fell well short of their usual standards. Mourinho has attempted to position these two attacking superstars to attack different spaces during counterattacks. However, since the 2023-24 season, both have shown a tendency to prefer attacking from the left flank.

This likely explains the former coaching staff's view: breaking the deadlock requires one of the two superstars to leave. Another staff member who worked under the former Real Madrid coach agreed with this assessment, adding, "Unless structural adjustments are made, it will be difficult to improve the current situation."

"The team doesn't lack creative talent, but if the defence can only rely on eight players—since Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius contribute little defensively—it's difficult to sustain this system long-term. Furthermore, if the team's key players are constantly accelerating attacks and competing for the same areas, building attacking play becomes very difficult."

However, there has been slight improvement in their defensive performance. In previous seasons, Real Madrid used a 4-4-2 formation, where Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius's defensive duties were starkly exposed and their defensive effort clearly lacking. Mourinho now employs a compact 4-2-3-1 formation, which reduces defensive demands on the two attacking superstars, requiring them only to protect space and maintain shape.

A source familiar with Mourinho's thinking stated, "Mourinho's approach is to find tactical balance. He involves them in defensive duties while not overextending them physically, ensuring both remain threatening in front of the opponent's penalty area."

Mourinho's predecessors—Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso, and Alberola—all tried various solutions but couldn't find a way to maximize the potential of these two stars.

Ancelotti continued to trust an attack packed with stars: Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Bellingham, and Rodrigo. Alonso treated the French star as the team's centerpiece but had conflicts with Vinícius and Bellingham. Alberola attempted to regain the trust of Vinícius and Bellingham but lost Kylian Mbappé's confidence in the process.

All interviewed sources stated that Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius have a good relationship off the pitch. A Valdebebas insider described their relationship as, "They get along fine privately, but they can't find a rhythm together on the pitch."

An insider close to both players revealed, "They don't have a bad relationship or hate each other, but they secretly compare everything. And if one doesn't engage in defence, the other becomes passive defensively as well."

The source also suggested that Vinícius may be frustrated that the club is fully backing Mbappé's Ballon d'Or bid. "Everyone in the dressing room notices and talks about it. They think Kylian Mbappé has a very high chance of winning the Ballon d'Or this year. Real Madrid is certainly doing everything to build momentum for him."

Mourinho and his coaching staff's assessment is that since both Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius are decisive forwards, the Portuguese manager typically keeps them on the pitch as long as possible.

However, whether Mourinho can achieve what all of Real Madrid's previous managers could not remains to be seen. The success of Real Madrid's Galácticos project may depend on it.

AI翻訳。

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