Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso made no secret of his disappointment after Vinicius Junior missed a penalty in Saturday’s La Liga match against Valencia.
Kylian Mbappé converted a penalty in the 19th minute, and then another was awarded in the 43rd minute. The French star allowed Vinicius Junior to take it, but his shot was rather poorly executed and easily saved by the Valencia goalkeeper.
The cameras then focused on a visibly frustrated Xabi Alonso. After the match, the Spanish coach confirmed that he was unhappy with what had happened and that he didn’t like his team missing penalties like that.
“I’m furious about Vinicius missing the penalty,” Alonso said in the post-match press conference. “It was just before the end of the first half, and it could have been 3-0. Luckily for us, Bellingham scored after that.”
He added, “That’s the reason for the anger, nothing else. Overall, Vinicius played a really good match.”
Regarding who is Real Madrid’s first-choice penalty taker, Alonso said, “Mbappé isn’t the only penalty taker. We decide who takes penalties, and Kylian is the first choice, then the decisions are made.”
He concluded, “I like penalties being awarded; it’s a good opportunity. Kylian scored the first one, and I wish he had scored the second, but Kylian is still the chosen penalty taker.”
Since his arrival at Real Madrid, Alonso’s relationship with Vinicius has been strained, as evidenced by his substitution in El Clásico and the uproar the Brazilian star caused in protest against his coach’s decision.
The relationship is supposedly improved after Vinicius apologized to the coach and the players in training, although sources close to the player confirm that he is not Alonso’s biggest fan, and this might ultimately lead him to leave the Santiago Bernabéu.
