Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior warned over ‘disrespectful’ attitude

Vinícius Júnior has been warned over his “unhealthy” and “disrespectful” attitude towards being substituted in the second half of Real Madrid’s weekend victory over Espanyol.

Goals from Kylian Mbappé and Éder Militão maintained the club’s unblemished start to the season, sealing a fifth straight win to leave Xabi Alonso’s side two points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga. 

But Vinícius’s evident displeasure at being withdrawn in the 77th minute has emerged as a major talking point, with some reports even claiming the 25-year-old Brazilian could seek to leave the Santiago Bernabéu in January.

What happened between Vinícius Júnior and Xabi Alonso?

That may be a little overstated, given that the episode went no further than a few heated words towards Alonso from Vinícius, who then tossed away his water bottle in disgust before stomping off to the dressing room. Alonso attempted to play down the incident afterwards.

“It’s true that he came off the pitch when he was maybe feeling his best and I could have waited to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control,” said the Spaniard.

“Vinícius wanted to stay on because he was feeling good. Mastantuono too, for example. Angry? He wasn’t very happy, but Franco was also angry. It happens to everyone, but I’m very happy with Vinícius’ performance. The schedule is demanding and we have to keep going.”

What did Jorge Valdano say about Vinícius Júnior?

The exchange nonetheless came under close scrutiny, with former Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano among those suggesting the attacker must do more to adapt to the altered realities of life under a new manager, following the summer departure of Carlo Ancellotti.

“Vinícius is not the same as he was and the coach is not the same as he was,” said Valdano, who has also played for and managed the club. “First he will have to improve his level, then he will have to convince the coach.

“These attitudes, displayed in public, are not healthy; they are not healthy in any case.”

A regular starter on the left side of attack under Ancelloti, Vinícius has found it tougher going since the summer arrival of Alonso, who deployed him from the bench at Real Oviedo last month and also omitted him from the starting lineup for Madrid’s Champions League opener against Marseille. Both times, his compatriot Rodrygo was preferred.

Why is Vinícius Júnior showing signs of discontent at Real Madrid?

Alonso has consistently emphasised the importance of the collective, and pointed to Vinícius’s influential cameo at Oviedo, where the forward came on to contribute a goal and an assist, as evidence of his value in an impact role. That, however, is likely to placate the Brazil international, whose dismay at being overlooked for last year’s Ballon d’Or influenced Real Madrid’s decision not to attend the ceremony. 

Valdano suggested the onus is on Vinícius to repay that show of faith and display greater respect towards his team-mates, remarking pointedly that no player is bigger than the club.  

“Vinícius is a man who has been very supported by Real Madrid,” Valdano told Movistar+. “He has fought against the world. The people, and even the club, between the world and Vinícius, preferred Vinícius. 

‘He should be a little more careful’

“But here we are starting to enter another issue. Vinícius is no longer angry with the world, he is angry with his own coach, and the people at Real Madrid have always put the club before the player.

“He should be a little more careful, because there is also implicit in this type of gesture a lack of respect for the player who is going to enter the field.” 

Valdano’s comments come after another of the club’s former strikers, Predrag Mijatović, said last month that Vinícius’s discontent was unbecoming of the shirt and should prompt a re-evaluation of the striker’s future at the club.

“The Vini-Rodrygo competition can be good,” said Mijatović, “but it can also cause problems for the coach. For now, Rodrygo is there and it’s a good strategy for Xabi to keep everyone happy. 

“Some things don’t change. It’s not worth it. For me, this behaviour doesn’t fit in with the Real Madrid shirt. He needs to motivate himself by fighting with everyone. He’s an excellent player, but we have to evaluate whether it’s worth it for him to be here.”

With a derby at Atlético Madrid this weekend followed by the season’s first Clásico meeting with Barcelona next month, the coming weeks promise to reveal much about Vinícius’s willingness to take on that fight.