Brazilian star Vinicius Junior blamed his “passion” and “competitive nature” for his outburst directed at Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso after being replaced in the El Clasico against Barcelona over the weekend. Vinicius also apologised for the incident. But what was interesting is that while he named the fans, the club president and teammates in his apology, he left out coach Alonso.
“I want to apologize to all Madrid fans for my reaction after being substituted. Just as I already apologized in person during today’s training session, I also want to apologize again to my teammates, the club and the president,” the footballer posted on his X handle on Wednesday.
The incident had happened in the 72nd minute of Madrid’s 2-1 league win over Barcelona on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium when Alonso opted to take Vinicius off the pitch and send Rodrygo out instead.
Cameras caught Vinicius storming off the pitch, while opening his arms in exasperation and muttering to himself. Vinicius went straight to the changing room, but then five minutes later appeared back on the ground and rejoined his teammates.
“Sometimes my passion gets the better of me,” Vinicius wrote in his message on X. “I always want to win and help my team. My competitive nature stems from the love I feel for this club and everything it represents. I promise to keep fighting every second for the good of Real Madrid, as I have done since day one.”
As the Associated Press noted, Vinicius has been substituted more often than he used to be under previous Madrid coaches. He also did not start in a couple of matches. He also exchanged words with Barcelona star Lamine Yamal during the El Clasico, and was involved in a scuffle between players after the match.
(With inputs from The Associated Press)
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