Vinicius Junior has confirmed that he did not see eye to eye with Xabi Alonso during the latter’s time at Real Madrid. The two had a public spat when the Brazilian was taken off during El Clasico in October, and despite public proclamations to the contrary, it appears their relations remained cold.
Alonso brought Vinicius off with Real Madrid 2-1 up during El Clasico, and Vinicius, enraged, walked off the pitch saying ‘Always me, I’m better off leaving [the club].’ The incident is widely cited in the definitive turning point for the worse of Alonso’s tenure, when his relations with the dressing room began to break down. Speaking ahead of Los Blancos’ clash with Bayern Munich, Vinicius confirmed their rocky relations.
“I played matches, but not many minutes. Every coach has their own methods, and I didn’t connect with him the way he wanted. But it was a learning experience, and I hope I can continue playing under Arbeloa, as I have a wonderful connection with him and he’s always given me confidence.”
More specifically on his dramatic substitution, Vinicius admitted that he was in the wrong. Notably, during his public apology, he omitted Alonso’s name.
“It wasn’t a nice moment, and I apologised to everyone. I like to play every game, and I didn’t come off in any of them. Later, with a clear head, you can understand that you made a mistake. I’m young, and every day is a new experience where you can improve.”
Earlier in the press conference, Vinicius confirmed that he intended to renew his contract with Real Madrid, something manager Alvaro Arbeloa is believed to have had a hand in. Vinicius explained that he did have a connection with the former Castilla boss.
“I’ve had a special connection with Arbeloa, just like I did with Ancelotti. He’s always made it clear what he wants from me. I’ve always given my best, and I’ll continue to do so. I don’t think I’ve ever gone this long without scoring a goal. I’ve learned from this rough patch, and I want to keep learning. The best players always bounce back.”
Los Blancos head into their quarter-final with Bayern Munich as underdogs, coming off a disappointing 2-1 loss to RCD Mallorca. Vinicius asked the fans to respond in order to help.
“Undoubtedly, the connection between the players and the fans is key; that always changes the dynamic of home games and Champions League matches. A good team is coming, but we have experience in these kinds of matches and hopefully we can do things right.”
After their loss on Saturday, a result that leaves Real Madrid seven points behind Barcelona in the title race, Arbeloa took the blame for the defeat, explaining that he was not able to inspire his side to be 200% focused. Vinicius was asked why the team struggled to focus so much.
“There are good days and bad days; some days we’re more or less focused, and that’s what happened in Mallorca. We were coming off the break, and as the manager said, if you’re not at 200%, you don’t win matches.”
“We weren’t as connected as we’d hoped; we’d just come back from playing with our national teams. We need to be at 200 percent, like the manager said.”
Vinicius is coming off a difficult first half of the season, but has hit form under Arbeloa. In his last 10 games, Vinicius has 10 goal contributions, including crucial braces against Atletico Madrid and Manchester City.
