Real Madrid have hit a dangerous turning point that nobody saw coming. Two defeats in their last seven La Liga matches, the most recent in the derby against Atletico Madrid, have plunged the Whites into a genuine crisis and raised questions about the value of the summer revolution led by Florentino Perez.
The Real Madrid president tore up the team over the summer, and his first and most striking move was to sign Jose Mourinho, betting on the Portuguese coach to restore the players to their best and bring back the lost prestige. The reality has been a shock. Nothing has improved. If anything the situation now looks as bad as last season, or worse, and that has bred deep anxiety in the Bernabeu stands while cranking up the criticism aimed at Mourinho by the day.
Contract until 2032 and a sudden collapse
One of Perez's biggest calls was extending Brazilian star Vinicius Junior's contract until 30 June 2032. The huge deal sees him earn around 24 million euros annually, making him the second highest-paid player in the squad behind Kylian Mbappe.
Since signing that historic contract, Vinicius has fallen off a cliff. The player who once terrified defences across Europe now finds himself under enormous pressure from fans and media, so much so that a large chunk of Real Madrid's support is openly demanding he be dropped and that young winger Yan Diomande gets his chance.
"He needs to try the bench"
Famous sports journalist Matias Prats, who recently joined Josep Pedrerol's programme "El Chiringuito", pushed this view hard during his appearance on "Radio Marca", as reported by Spanish newspaper "Sport".
Prats opened with a harsh diagnosis of the Brazilian's situation: "Vinicius has not performed well at the start of this season. The solution is clear: he needs to experience the consequences of sitting on the bench."
He added: "For his own good and for the good of Real Madrid. I believe he needs a wake-up call. Vinicius is not performing well, he lacks vitality, he cannot dribble past any player, and he makes no effort."
The alternative, Prats said, is ready and waiting: "There is a player who is almost begging for a place in the starting line-up, and that is Diomande."
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Will Mourinho change the system?
One of the analysts contributing to "Radio Marca" argued that Mourinho has other ways to reshape the team, especially up front: "He can bring in an out-and-out striker. I think Carlos Espi is not surplus to requirements at the moment, as he is a different type of player and could give the team a new attacking depth."
Prats signed off with a phrase that captured the mood, branding this Real Madrid "a team without a soul".