Vinicius Jr. was furious to be substituted during El Clasico
© AFP
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior is reportedly unhappy with life at the club, especially following Xabi Alonso's arrival as the new manager, after being withdrawn in the 72nd minute of El Clasico. Vinicius, who came close to winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or last year, is reportedly no longer considered an untouchable player in the Real Madrid squad, at least from Alonso's point of view. With the club leading 2-1 against Barcelona in Sunday's Clasico, Alonso decided to replace Vinicius with Rodrygo. The substitution clearly showed Vinicius's displeasure on the pitch.
As per a report in AS, Vinicius is "seriously considering leaving," feeling that he is not receiving the respect he deserves at Real Madrid. The 25-year-old Brazilian winger is said to have shouted "Always me" towards Alonso while he was being taken off, before reportedly saying, "I'm leaving the team, it's better if I leave, I'm leaving."
After the conclusion of the Clasico, Vinicius said: "I have a message to all Madridistas, especially those who came to the Bernabeu and supported us passionately: this is how the Clasico is, there are many things happening on and off the pitch. We try to maintain balance, but that's not always possible. We didn't want to offend anyone, neither the young players nor the fans. We know that when we step onto the pitch, we have to play our role, and that's how it was today. Hala Madrid."
VINICIUS JR IS EXTREMELY ANGRY THAT HE IS BEING TAKEN OFF!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/R6J52YjN5G
— MO3GZA (@ah4q2) October 26, 2025
Alonso admitted that he could have replaced Vinicius a little later in the game, but he sensed the need for fresh legs on the pitch, thus prompting the change. In fact, the Spanish coach revealed that the club's Argentine right-winger, Franco Mastantuono, had also reacted to his substitution in a similar way in a previous game.
"The only thing Vinicius was missing was a goal. It's true that he came off the pitch when he was feeling best, and I could have waited a bit to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control. Vinicius wanted to stay on because he was feeling good," Alonso explained.
"Franco [Mastantuono] wanted to carry on playing too. He said to me, 'Are you taking me off?' And I said, 'Yes.' Something similar happened with Vini. He wasn't very happy, but neither was Franco. It happens to everyone, but I'm very happy with Vinicius's performance. The schedule is demanding, and we have to keep going."
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