The Athletic interviewed insiders at Real Madrid and learned that Vinicius and Mbappé have been subtly competing with each other, with a dynamic where if one doesn't defend, the other won't either. Because of this tactical issue, a former Real Madrid coaching staff member believes the problem cannot be resolved unless either Vinicius or Mbappé leaves the club.

More than two years ago, Real Madrid stood at the pinnacle of world football. The club had just won its 15th Champions League title, breaking the record for most titles in the competition. After years of pursuit, Real Madrid also signed Mbappé on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. Bringing this world-class player, widely recognized for his exceptional abilities, to Europe's strongest team seemed to guarantee future success for the club.

Vinicius was a frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or that year, but Manchester City's Rodri ultimately won the award, leaving everyone at Real Madrid deeply disappointed. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham, after becoming Real Madrid's most expensive signing, shined in his first season, scoring 23 goals.

The club, fans, and media were entranced by visions of the latest "Galácticos" project being built by president Florentino Pérez. However, reality has proven quite different. Over the past two seasons, Real Madrid has won no major trophies, cycled through four head coaches, and even held an unexpected presidential election in June.

During this time, Real Madrid repeatedly blamed refereeing decisions for their failures, but there has also been significant internal criticism: lack of fighting spirit; a midfield lacking creative players capable of connecting play after Toni Kroos's departure (2024) and Luka Modrić's departure (2025); and poor chemistry between star players.

This is most evident in the fractured partnership between Mbappé and Vinicius. A source who regularly visits the Valdebebas training ground said: "The problem is at the tactical level, and it also involves personal pride, but first and foremost, it's a tactical issue."

Meanwhile, a Real Madrid coaching staff member in recent years admitted: "Unless either Vinicius or Mbappé leaves, this problem cannot be solved." Like all sources interviewed for this article, these individuals chose to speak anonymously to avoid damaging relationships.

Real Madrid currently trails Barcelona by 6 points in LaLiga, and the first El Clásico of the season will take place on October 25. The dressing room that Mourinho inherited was in chaos last season, culminating in an internal conflict between Valverde and Tchouaméni.

Before the international break, Real Madrid lost 1-2 to Atlético Madrid. This defeat sparked rumors in Spain that internal conflicts were resurfacing in the team. However, some Valdebebas insiders close to Mourinho and the players denied this claim. They acknowledged that the team still has room for improvement and the atmosphere could worsen if results continue to decline, but the overall condition of the dressing room and player cooperation is better than last season.

A source close to Mourinho said: "The team's defense needs to be strengthened, and attacking efficiency also needs to improve. This is also the direction Mourinho has focused on during the international break, seeking internal adjustments and tactical solutions to address the team's weaknesses."

In the match against Atlético at Cívitas Metropolitano, neither Mbappé nor Vinicius scored. Real Madrid has played 8 matches this season; Mbappé has contributed 8 goals and 2 assists; however, he failed to score in both losses, and he also missed a penalty in another loss against Real Betis.

Vinicius has scored only 1 goal with 3 assists in 8 matches, statistics that have raised concerns within the club. Some Spanish media outlets reported that Mourinho is considering benching the Brazilian forward, but sources close to Mourinho said he has not seriously considered dropping Vinicius.

With Vinicius's sluggish goal-scoring form, much speculation emerged on social media during the international break, some of which was picked up by Spanish media outlets: some speculated that his recent jaw surgery affected his on-field performance, but there is no evidence supporting this claim. Real Madrid and Vinicius's team did not respond to The Athletic about this matter.

Off the pitch, both stars have also come under public scrutiny. Previously, photos of Mbappé cycling while recovering from a knee injury during a break in Switzerland sparked controversy on social media. This was particularly notable after Mourinho had previously stated in an interview that he did not want players cycling during their breaks. However, Mourinho was not concerned about the incident, as cycling is a safe recreational activity.

Mourinho addressed the issue at Friday's press conference, calling the various rumors surrounding Mbappé during the international break "nonsense" and criticizing the media for exaggerating, while confirming that the French captain would start in today's match against Villarreal.

This is not the first time Mbappé has traveled while recovering from an injury, causing frustration among fans. In the eyes of some staff members in the dressing room and at Valdebebas, some behavior of this 27-year-old player has been widely criticized. For example, in May this year, he went on vacation in Italy with his girlfriend while recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.

On the pitch, when both are present, it is very difficult for both to perform at their highest level—this is very clear. In the Madrid derby, both performed well below their usual standards. Mourinho has worked hard to get these two star forwards attacking into different spaces during counterattacks. However, since the 2023-24 season, both tend to start their attacks from the left wing.

Perhaps this explains the former coaching staff member's perspective: to break the deadlock, one of the two superstars must leave. Another staff member under a former Real Madrid coach agreed with this view, adding: "Either there need to be structural adjustments, or they will struggle to improve the current situation.

"The team is not lacking in creative talent, but if the defense can only rely on 8 players (the defensive contributions of Mbappé and Vinicius are insufficient), the system will be difficult to maintain long-term; and if key players in the team are constantly accelerating their attacks and competing for the same area, organizing attacks will be very difficult."

However, there have been some improvements in their defensive performance. In previous years, Real Madrid used a 4-4-2 formation, which exposed the defensive responsibilities of Mbappé and Vinicius, and the problem of their lack of defensive involvement was evident. Mourinho is now using a compact 4-2-3-1 formation, which reduces defensive demands on the two star forwards, only requiring them to protect space and maintain shape.

A source close to Mourinho's thinking said: "Mourinho's idea is to seek tactical balance, getting them involved in defensive cooperation without overextending them, ensuring they remain a threat in front of the opponent's goal."

Mourinho's predecessors—Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso, and Arbeloa—all tried different solutions but never found a way to maximize the potential of these two stars.

Ancelotti firmly believed in the formidable attacking line of Mbappé, Vinicius, Bellingham, and Rodrygo; Alonso saw the French star as the team's core but clashed with Vinicius and Bellingham; Arbeloa tried to regain the support of Vinicius and Bellingham, but paid the price by losing Mbappé's trust.

All sources interviewed said Mbappé and Vinicius have a good relationship off the pitch. People at Valdebebas describe their relationship as: "They get along well personally, but they cannot find a connection on the pitch."

A person close to both players revealed: "They don't have a bad or hostile relationship, but they secretly compete over everything; and as long as one of them doesn't defend, the other will also defend passively."

The source also mentioned that Vinicius may harbor resentment over the club fully backing Mbappé in the Ballon d'Or race. "Everyone in the dressing room sees and talks about it; they think Mbappé is likely to win the Ballon d'Or this year. Real Madrid is really doing everything to build momentum for him."

Mourinho's and his coaching staff's assessment is that both Mbappé and Vinicius are decisive forwards, so the Portuguese coach tends to keep them on the pitch as long as possible.

But whether Mourinho can accomplish what all previous Real Madrid coaches have failed to do remains to be seen. The success or failure of Real Madrid's Galácticos project may depend on this.

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