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Ghanaian football personality King Ajor has called on Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho to leave Vinicius Jr on the bench, arguing that the Spanish club's attacking play has looked sharper without the Brazilian in the starting line-up.
King Ajor's comments came after Real Madrid produced a remarkable comeback win over AEK Athens in a Champions League fixture on Wednesday, November 4. It was far from a straightforward evening for the Spanish giants.
AEK Athens' Aboubakary Koita broke the deadlock after just 12 minutes, and Madrid's attempts to level were initially frustrated when VAR disallowed their equaliser for offside.
Jude Bellingham finally pulled Madrid level in the 32nd minute, only for Stavro Pilo to restore the Greek side's advantage with 15 minutes to play.
Kylian Mbappe replied three minutes later, and Federico Valverde then struck in stoppage time to seal a dramatic turnaround.
Watch Valverde's match-winner, as shared on X:
Despite the win, King Ajor's focus shifted to what he observed about Madrid's attacking shape during Vinícius' absence.
The Ghanaian content creator argued that Mbappe looked noticeably more effective and dangerous when Yan [Diomande] operated on the left flank and suggested that the team's overall rhythm had benefited as a result.
"Vinícius may simply need some time away from the starting XI to rediscover his confidence and get back to his best. Nobody is saying he cannot return stronger, but the team's progress should not be sacrificed in the process," he wrote on X.
King Ajor maintained that Mourinho's priority should be preserving the balance and fluidity of the team's attacking unit rather than forcing combinations that could disrupt the collective.
He closed his remarks with a pointed directive to the Madrid coach:
"Don't force it, Mourinho. BENCH VINI!"
Vinícius remains a central figure in Real Madrid's attack and one of the club's most influential players, but King Ajor's observations have added fresh fuel to an ongoing debate about how Mourinho should balance individual brilliance against team cohesion.
YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Vinicius had a goal ruled out and was sent off during Real Madrid’s La Liga encounter with Villarreal at the Bernabéu on October 10.
A VAR review revealed that the Brazilian had pulled an opponent’s hair in an off-the-ball incident before scoring.
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