The Brazilian star stirred up a lot of controversy due to his reaction.
Brazilian player “Vinicius Junior,” Real Madrid’s star, has apologized for his angry reaction when he was substituted in the match against Barcelona. The match ended with a (2-1) victory for the Royal team last Sunday at the “Santiago Bernabéu” stadium, as part of the tenth round of the Spanish League.
In the 72nd minute, “Vinicius” expressed his displeasure with the substitution decision with angry words, saying as he headed towards the dressing room, without looking at coach “Xabi Alonso”: “It’s always me! I’m going to leave the team! It’s better if I leave, I’m leaving.”
“Vinicius” commented on this via his official “Instagram” account, saying: “Today, I would like to apologize to all Real Madrid fans for my reaction when I was substituted in El Clásico. And as I did personally during today’s training, I would also like to reiterate my apology to my teammates, the club, and the president.”
He added: “Sometimes, the excitement gets the better of me, because I always want to win and help my team. My competitive personality stems from my love for this club and everything it represents. I promise to continue fighting in every moment for Real Madrid, as I have done since day one.”
With this victory in El Clásico, Real Madrid raised its score to 27 points to top the Spanish League standings, 5 points ahead of Barcelona, which is in second place.
Intense Anger
During the El Clásico match, a new crisis erupted within the Real Madrid team, as Brazilian star “Vinicius Junior” showed his extreme anger at his coach “Xabi Alonso” after being replaced by player “Rodrygo Goes.” “Vinicius” protested this decision with gestures and words before leaving the field directly to the dressing rooms, without sitting on the bench, but he returned to it after a few minutes.
When “Vinicius” saw his number on the fourth official’s board, signs of shock and disbelief appeared on his face, and he uttered clear protest phrases as he left the field angrily, without shaking hands with his coach.
For his part, “Alonso” completely ignored the situation and focused his gaze on the field, while a number of “Vinicius'” teammates intervened to calm him down.
This was not the first time that the Brazilian international player has shown his anger at his coach’s decisions.
“Alonso’s” Calm
The Royal team’s coach, “Alonso,” spoke calmly and confidently to the media, following his first victory as a coach in El Clásico with a score of (2-1), and he analyzed the reasons for the victory.
“Alonso” said: “I am very happy for the players, they needed to know that they have the ability to win a match of this kind. It was a deserved victory, even less than the course of the match, and this is important for the future.”
Regarding his personal feeling after the victory, the Real Madrid coach confirmed that he does not see it as getting rid of a certain pressure or burden, and said: “Nothing has been freed for me, we still have a lot ahead of us, we must remain calm.”
The press conference was not without questions raised about “Vinicius Junior’s” anger after being substituted, but “Alonso” dealt with the matter calmly, saying: “I came out of the match with many positives, including “Vini’s” performance, we will definitely talk about it, but I don’t want to lose focus on the important points, there are players who have different personalities, and we will clarify things within the team.”
Despite the repeated questions about the Brazilian star, “Alonso” preferred not to dwell on the controversy, stressing that tension is a natural part of El Clásico matches: “This is normal, in every Clásico many things happen, and this will continue, the tension is always there. As long as things remain within the framework of healthy competition, there is nothing to worry about.”
“Mbappé” Steals the Spotlight
For his part, the French player succeeded in imposing himself as the first star in the final third of the field, both in terms of decisiveness and scoring contribution. “Mbappé” has scored 16 goals and made two assists so far this season – during 13 matches between the Spanish League and the Champions League.
This has been directly reflected in the way opponents deal with the Real Madrid team, as the defensive density has become directed towards him first, and not towards “Vinicius” as was the case in previous seasons.
“Mbappé’s” movements have also contributed to increasing the effectiveness of the Madrid attack, and have given the team solutions that were not always available with “Vinicius,” who relies more on individual duels.
This transformation has made the Brazilian player seem less important than he was, not because of a decline in his level, but as a result of a change in the “offensive equation” within the team, as “Mbappé” has gained the largest space in making decisions within the influential areas, while “Vinicius'” role has gradually declined from “scene leader” to “partner.”
“Vinicius” now faces an important test at the level of mental maturity, as he must adapt to a new reality within Real Madrid, which no longer relies on him as a single focal point in the attack, but as an element within a more diverse system led by “Mbappé” with confidence and stability.
In general, the Real Madrid team achieved a long-awaited victory over its Catalan rival, after losing in 4 Clásico matches last season.
