Vinicius Junior released a statement apologizing to Real Madrid fans for his behavior in El Clásico and his reaction to coach Xabi Alonso’s decision to substitute him in the 72nd minute of the match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium last Sunday.
The Brazilian international wrote, “Today I want to apologize to all Madridistas for my reaction to being substituted in El Clásico. As I did personally during today’s training session, I also want to apologize again to my teammates, the club, and its president.”
He continued, “Sometimes I get carried away by emotion because of my constant desire to win and help my team. My competitive nature stems from the love I feel for this club and everything it represents.”
He concluded, “I promise to continue fighting every second for the good of Real Madrid, as I have done since day one.”
It was noteworthy that Vinicius did not mention Xabi Alonso or the coaching staff in his apology, only his teammates, the fans, and Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, further highlighting the strained relationship between the player and the coach.
The surprise came in a report by Cadena COPE confirming that Vinicius has not yet apologized to Alonso during Real Madrid training, having only apologized to his teammates before Wednesday’s session.
Vinicius arrived at training on time, then gathered his teammates, explained the entire situation, and apologized. Neither Alonso nor his staff attended this meeting, and no discussions have yet taken place between the Brazilian star and the Spanish coach.
Spanish media outlets indicate that the relationship between Vinicius and Alonso is broken, and that the player is angry with the coach’s treatment of him, unable to tolerate the Spaniard’s insistence on substituting him regardless of his performance in matches.
