In the 73rd minute of El Clasico, Vinicius Junior, substituted by Xabi Alonso, scored a powerful shot to give his Real Madrid teammates a 2-1 victory over Barcelona.
Vinicius Junior has publicly apologized to Real Madrid fans for his tantrum after being substituted in El Clasico. Real’s statement about their 2-1 home victory over Barcelona on Sunday was tainted by the Brazilian’s abuse.
With the game in balance in the 73rd minute, Xabi Alonso opted to bring Vinicius off for Rodrygo. When his number was called, the forward became furious and trudged off, groaning at his manager.
Vinicius, 25, said: There was no handshake between the two, and Alonso didn’t look at Vinicius as he reached the touchline and continued down the tunnel. Now that the Bernabeu leadership has decided not to punish him, Vinicius has apologized.
“Today I would like to apologize to all Madrid players for my reaction when I was substituted in the Clasico,” the Brazilian player wrote in a post for X.
“I would like to apologize again to my team-mates, the club and the president, just as I have already apologized directly during training today. I always want to win and help the team, so sometimes passion gets the better of me.”
read more: Tensions rise at Real Madrid as Xabi Alonso ‘disrespects and dissatisfies’ star playersread more: Choose your team in the Real Madrid dressing room as Vinicius Junior vs. Xabi Alonso battle continues
“My competitive nature stems from my love for this club and everything it stands for. I promise to continue to fight every second for Real Madrid, as I have done since day one.”
Of course, there was no mention of Alonso in Vinicius’ post.
Alonso told reporters after the match: “Every dressing room has different personalities. For now we will enjoy the win and then of course we will have a conversation.”
Vinicius returned to the bench at the end of the game against Barça and was one of five players named for their role in the late brawl between players from both groups. “That’s what El Clasico is,” the 25-year-old explained to Real Madrid TV.
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“There’s a lot going on on and off the pitch. We try to maintain a balance, but we can’t always do that. We didn’t want to upset anyone, neither the Barça players nor the fans.
“When we step on the field, we know we have to protect our team, and that was the case today.”
According to reports, relations between Vinicius and Alonso are strained. Alonso has scored five goals and provided four assists in 13 appearances for Real this season, with the Reds taking charge ahead of the Club World Cup this summer.
The Whites are at the top of La Liga with a five-point difference and have won their first three Champions League games. They host Valencia on Saturday.
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