Former Real Madrid midfielder Claude Makelele has suggested exclusively to Sports Mole that Los Blancos will side with head coach Xabi Alonso over Vinicius Junior if another rift breaks out between the two individuals.
Vinicius reacted furiously to being substituted in Real Madrid's La Liga clash with Barcelona at the end of last month, which led to the Brazil international issuing an apology.
The 25-year-old has since played 79 minutes against Valencia in La Liga last weekend, and the full 90 minutes against Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Los Blancos suffering a 1-0 defeat to the latter.
Alonso recently insisted that there is no issue between himself and Vinicius, but there is currently widespread speculation surrounding the Brazilian's future at Bernabeu.
A number of Saudi Pro League clubs are believed to be willing to offer him a blockbuster contract to move to Saudi Arabia next summer, while Paris Saint-Germain are thought to lead the European interest.
Vinicius Junior/Xabi Alonso composite
Makelele: Vinicius situation is "very delicate"
Teams from the Premier League are also known admirers, but due to the money that will be involved, it is thought to be unlikely that the attacker will move to England's top flight in 2026.
Makelele, who represented Real Madrid between 2000 and 2003, admitted that it is a "very delicate" situation when a manager has friction with one of the star players at the club.
However, the 52-year-old has said that Real Madrid and the head coach must always be bigger than a player, suggesting that the club would side with Alonso if another incident occurred.
“He is young player, a competitor. He wants to play 90 minutes. But the manager can deal with this and make an understanding. But he is big player, the same capacity as [Kylian] Mbappe. It's normal," Makelele told Sports Mole.
“In my time, the manager put you out because sometimes you don’t give him the success he wants. But sometimes it’s very delicate to put this kind of player out.
"It can be him, Mbappe, [Jude] Bellingham, it's happened for every player. It will happen again, I'm sure. But the more important thing, the club, the manager needs to always be bigger than the player.”
Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid celebrates scoring during his side's match against Levante, on September 23, 2025
How has Vinicius performed for Real Madrid this season?
Vinicius has featured on 15 occasions for Real Madrid this season, scoring five goals and registering four assists, but he has found it incredibly difficult to make his mark in the Champions League.
Indeed, the forward has not registered a goal or an assist in four European outings this term.
Vinicius has been such a vital part of Real Madrid's success in recent years, but he is no longer the star player at Bernabeu, with Mbappe outperforming him since arriving on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
The attacker's contract is due to expire in June 2027, and there are a number of signs pointing towards a big-money exit during next summer's transfer window.
Claude Makelele was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of bet365, the official global partner of the UEFA Champions League.
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