Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior could be sanctioned for his outburst towards Xabi Alonso after being substituted in the Los Blacos victory over Barcelona.
Vinicius Jr made straight for the dressing room when Xabi Alonso swapped him with Rodrygo, briefly refusing to watch the remaining minutes of the match because he was too angry to sit on the bench.
The Brazilian who was not pleased whi his coach reportedly pointed out that he has often started and not finished games this season.
“Always me,” he is believed to have said, before adding that it would be better for everyone if he wasn’t left to stew on his feelings. “I’m leaving the team, it’s better if I leave, I’m leaving,” the player said, before taking off back inside.
Eventually, he returned and was involved in the furious post-match confrontations centred around Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.
Vinicius Junior frustrated after being substituted against Barcelona (Photo by Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images)
According to Barcelona-based Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid players and executives were not impressed by what happened when Vinicius left the pitch.
In the eyes of his colleagues it was “bad” and “wrong” for that to be his reaction to being substituted. Some club officials are claimed to believe Alonso made the wrong call withdrawing the 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up when he did, but still cannot abide by what followed and are “very upset” over his reaction.
That image is not what the club wants to project. Ultimately, the possibility is raised that Real Madrid are “seriously considering” sanctions.
Vinicius Jr is replaced by Rodrygo during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid v FC Barcelona (Photo by Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Asked how he felt about the Brazilian forward outburst, Alonso after the match played down the incident, noting its his professional desire to be on the pitch at all times.
“The only thing Vinicius was missing was a goal,” he told reporters. “It’s true that he came off the pitch when he was feeling best and I could have waited a bit to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control. Vinicius wanted to stay on because he was feeling good.
“Franco [Mastantuono] wanted to carry on playing too. He said to me, ‘Are you taking me off?’ And I said, ‘Yes’. Something similar happened with Vini. He wasn’t very happy, but neither was Franco. It happens to everyone, but I’m very happy with Vinicius’s performance. The schedule is demanding and we have to keep going.”
It’s left to see how Real Madrid will sanction Vini Jr who is yet to sign a contract extension. The Brazilian this season in La Liga has nine combined goals and assists. In the Champions League, meanwhile, he’s still waiting for a goal involvement this season.
