Julen Guerrero's Message to Vinicius Jr: Rediscover Your Fire
Julen Guerrero has delivered a blunt message to Vinicius Jr: find the fire again, or risk slipping away from the elite.
The Athletic Bilbao legend believes the Brazilian has lost the edge that once made him one of Real Madrid’s most terrifying weapons, and he did not sugarcoat his assessment of the winger’s start to the 2026/27 season.
Vinicius has opened the campaign in fits and starts, his influence dipping well below the devastating heights he previously hit in white. The numbers are down, the impact is patchy, but Guerrero insists the problem runs deeper than a few missed chances.
“Vinicius doesn't seem to have the same ambition and desire as before, the drive to attack, to take on defenders, to do all the things he does so well,” he said, speaking to Defensa Central.
“He seems more complacent and is making a lot of mistakes. He needs to rediscover the joy of wanting to be number 1, as he has wanted to be for so long.
“Right now, he's far from his best form.”
Those are heavy words from a former Spain international who knows what it means to carry the expectations of a giant club. And they land at a delicate time for Vinicius, who still shows flashes of his old self but no longer strikes fear with the same relentless regularity.
Mbappé not the answer on the left
The easy conclusion would be to point at Kylian Mbappé and assume the Frenchman simply steps into Vinicius’ space. Guerrero rejects that idea outright.
He expects Jose Mourinho to keep backing Vinicius, not only out of faith in the player, but because he does not see Mbappé as a natural fit for the left flank or the defensive workload Mourinho demands there.
“I don't see Mbappe on the left. I think Mourinho wants to get Vinicius back to his defensive role, and I don't think Mbappé is suited for that.
“He's focused on goals, on being up front, and resting when he doesn't have the ball. That's why Mourinho doesn't see him playing alongside Espi.
“I see him more as an attacking midfielder with freedom, with Espí pinning the centre-backs, than on the left. In his mind, he wants to stay up front. In any case, that position belongs to Bellingham,” Guerrero added.
So the message is clear: the left side is still Vinicius’ territory. But it comes with responsibility. Track back. Press. Attack with conviction. Do it all, or Mourinho will have a tactical puzzle to solve with no obvious like-for-like solution.
Warning signs after Elche scare
Guerrero’s criticism did not stop at individuals. He turned his attention to the team as a whole after Real Madrid’s chaotic 3-2 win over Elche, a match that exposed a worrying tendency to drift through games.
Madrid led by two and looked comfortable. Then they switched off. Elche clawed their way back, and only a stoppage-time strike from Carlos Espí saved the points.
“What's most concerning is their switching off,” Guerrero said. “The first half was comfortable, without playing excellent football, but with everything under control.
“They didn't press high, nor did they seem to have tremendous ambition. Elche combined quite comfortably, but Madrid has much more firepower.”
The criticism cuts in two directions. A team that eases off with a lead. A star winger who no longer attacks every duel like it matters.
For Mourinho and Madrid, the equation is simple: they cannot afford a complacent Vinicius or a complacent team. The season is long, the margins at the top are thin, and the question now hangs in the air — how quickly can their most electric forward rediscover the hunger that once drove him past everyone in his path?
