Lothar Matthäus has told Real Madrid, in plain terms, to leave Vinicius Junior on the bench, even once his four-match suspension ends. The 1990 World Cup winner spoke at a media roundtable before Saturday’s Bundesliga meeting between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and his verdict on the Brazilian forward was as blunt as any public assessment of a Real Madrid player this season.

“Real Madrid’s problem is called Vinicius Junior,” Matthäus told reporters, arguing that the team is more disciplined and plays better for one another when the winger is absent.

Two big wins without him

Matthäus pointed to concrete evidence. Real Madrid won the Clásico 2-1 at Camp Nou on October 25, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice. Eleven days earlier, Mourinho’s side had come from 3-1 down away to Roma to win 4-3 in the Champions League, with Antonio Rüdiger scoring the winner in the 90th minute. Vinicius was suspended for the Clásico and was taken off during the Roma game.

For Matthäus, that is not coincidence. He described Vinicius as a “troublemaker” and a “sourpuss” who harms both the squad and the club, and contrasted the Brazilian’s public image unfavorably with that of Harry Kane, who was named the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner on October 28. Vinicius finished 17th in the same vote, down one place from 16th in 2025.

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The Villarreal red card and what comes next

The suspension that kept Vinicius out of the Clásico came after a flashpoint against Villarreal. He was shown a straight red card for pulling defender Nathan Saliba’s hair in the 71st minute and was then handed a four-match ban: two games for the hair-pull and two more for his protests toward the referee, which teammates had to physically restrain.

That ruling ruled him out of fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona and Racing Santander, with the away trip to Valencia on November 7 the final match of the ban. Matthäus wants Mourinho to extend the absence by choice.

“I hope, for Real Madrid’s sake, that at some point the president speaks plainly to Vinicius Junior, that he either puts him in his place or Mourinho leaves him on the bench,” Matthäus said.

Mourinho took charge at the Santiago Bernabéu on a three-year deal running from July 13 and until June 30, 2029, 13 years after his first spell at the club. His side beat Racing Santander 3-0 on November 1 and travel to Valencia next, the match that closes out Vinicius’ suspension.

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