The former coach also outlined how he would have managed the immediate fallout, criticising Vinicius's subsequent actions, which included a public apology that conspicuously omitted his manager.
"What would I have done after the Clasico? After the match, you have to talk to him," Gabi said. "You can't just let it go and have him issue a statement and not apologise to the coach. It's unacceptable and egocentric."
Gabi extended his criticism beyond the single incident, suggesting a pattern of behaviour and referencing Vinicius's high-profile anti-racism campaign, which he implied the player was using inappropriately.
"It's a combination of things. You get carried away and do things that, in my opinion, are inappropriate," Gabi said. "You judge teammates, the coach, a whole country, saying we're all racist... what the hell is going on? This isn't the path for me. It's very difficult to know how to win; you get carried away and do things that aren't right."
He concluded: "No one can think they are above the team. Any player who feels superior has a problem... Unless you're Messi, who won games single-handedly."