JOSE MOURINHO went on a bizarre rant in which he compared Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe to FRUIT TREES.
The Real Madrid stars were booed by their own fans this week following the defeat to Real Betis on Friday.
The team responded with a 2-1 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
During the match, Mbappe and Vinicius were jeered by the Bernabeu crowd.
They had been criticised for their lack of contribution to the defensive side of the team’s performances.
It has also been suggested that fans were still unhappy with the club’s failure to win a single trophy last season.
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
UP FOR KEEPS
Ex-Arsenal ace who cost £80m in fees now playing in front of 246 people
Welcome player
Join Sun Vegas now and claim a 100% deposit match bonus and 100 free spins
Mbappe responded with the opening goal against the Italian outfit before Federico Valverde netted the hosts’ second.
Mourinho has now defended the pair and insisted that those criticising are only trying to “get a piece” of them.
He said: “In Portuguese, we have a proverb that says we only throw stones at the trees that have fruit.
“So what Vini has done here over recent years – how many CL has he won, how many goals has he scored, how many balls has he won?
Most read in Sport
STAR ‘ASSAULT’
Ex-Premier League star, 34, charged with attacking wife at their luxury home
IN PRINCIPLE
Joshua vs Fury to take place at Principality Stadium with shocking 2AM start
ENZ-GO
Fernandez made two Chelsea exit requests as friendship with teammates went sour
KIS GOODBYE
Evangelos Marinakis sacks his 25TH manager in 16 years
SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS
Tuesday 13 October
Lens
17:45
League Stage
Sporting
Sabah
17:45
League Stage
Slavia
Arsenal
20:00
League Stage
Lille
Galatasaray
20:00
League Stage
Barcelona
Leipzig
20:00
League Stage
PSV
Inter
20:00
League Stage
Club Brugge
Atlético
20:00
League Stage
Man Utd
Thursday 10 September
Slavia
2 – 3
League Stage
Lens
Como
4 – 1
League Stage
Leipzig
Man Utd
4 – 0
League Stage
Sabah
FC Bayern
5 – 0
League Stage
Bodø/Glimt
Fenerbahçe
1 – 1
League Stage
Roma
PSV
1 – 1
League Stage
Shakhtar D
UEFA Champions League
Pld
Pts
GD
W
D
L
Form
1
1
3
5
1
0
0
2
1
3
5
1
0
0
3
1
3
4
1
0
0
4
1
3
4
1
0
0
5
1
3
3
1
0
0
6
1
3
2
1
0
0
7
1
3
2
1
0
0
8
1
3
2
1
0
0
“His achievements speak for themselves so he is the tree that has a lot of fruit on it and people want to get a piece of Vini.
“During this digital era where we have access to so many stats, we can tell that he is very close to getting to his best version.
“He’s even set some records already.
“The stats and numbers he registers suggest we will see his best version very soon.”
Mourinho continued his rant and further claimed that Mbappe is not “a problem” due to his goalscoring exploits.
He added: “I want to remind you of the proverb I said before. He is the tree with a lot of fruit.
“Obviously, a player who scores more than 40 goals for a team is never a problem.
“I saw Kylian giving it his all. He was defending like an animal, even when he had nothing left.
“His attitude is incredible. It is a joy for me to see a player like that.”
Real are currently 4th in LaLiga after four games in which they have won three and lost once.
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Mbappe has already scored five goals in all competitions this season as he continues his prolific form.
Last term, the forward scored 42 goals in 44 appearances which has seen him nominated for the Ballon d’Or.