Jose Mourinho is breaking his golden rule just to protect Vinícius Junior and company

Writer Hridyam Arora argues that Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho contradicts his own principle by treating certain players as untouchable despite their poor form. Prior to a 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig, Mourinho publicly stated that only consistent on-pitch performance earns a player an untouchable status, ruling out factors like transfer fee, status, or tenure at the club.

However, the author contends that Mourinho's selections contradict this standard, noting that Vinicius Junior, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Fede Valverde continue starting despite subpar displays. The piece highlights that Vinicius Junior was pre-selected to start against Leipzig and was substituted after 70 minutes, which the writer claims undermines Mourinho's declared performance-based selection policy.