The eyes of the footballing world were on Munich as Paris Saint-Germain lifted the Champions League trophy.
There was a lot of talk regarding the Champions League final in the West Midlands, as former Wolves loanee Vitinha starred in the contest.
Four years after leaving Wolves to return to Porto on the back of an underwhelming loan spell, the Portuguese midfielder got his hands on the greatest domestic prize of them all.
Wolves have been taunted for letting Vitinha go throughout the season, as the 25-year-old continues to maintain his status as one of the world’s best in his position.
Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images
Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images
Marcal revealed Vitinha’s struggle with Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves
After spending the 2020/21 season on loan at Molineux, Wolves chose not to sign Vitinha due to feeling unconvinced by the player’s impact.
It was no surprise, as Vitinha was handed the task of competing with Joao Moutinho, which, as a 20-year-old, was a near-impossible challenge to overcome.
It wasn’t only the lack of minutes and increased competition in the squad that led to the midfielder’s loan spell fizzing out, as working with Nuno Espirito Santo was not simple.
In an interview with L’Equipe in April, former Wolves defender Marcal revealed that Nuno was ‘difficult’ with Vitinha, calling for the ex-loanee to stop overcomplicating things.
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“The coach was difficult with him. Even though he did incredible things in training, he couldn’t convince him,” Marcal admitted.
“Santo wanted Vitinha to play simple, to release the ball more quickly. He tried to comply, but he also didn’t want to lose his identity.”
Despite his best efforts to adhere to Nuno’s demands, Vitinha placed the importance of expressing himself above the manager’s vision, which ultimately paved the way to his European glory.
Vitinha was right to ignore Nuno’s request
Vitinha spoke highly of his time at Wolves despite not getting the chance to impose himself due to game time and the Old Gold’s plan for him in midfield.
For some, a chance in the Premier League isn’t the be-all and end-all, and to Vitinha, the grass has certainly been greener away from England.
Vitinha’s Champions League final masterclass
1 assist
4 key passes
90% pass completion
100% cross completion
100% ground duels won
Vitinha vs Inter Milan in the Champions League final – Sofascore
The Portugal international’s creativity and ability to dictate the tempo of a game without possessing physical qualities have rocketed him to the very top, proving that sometimes, the player knows best.
Marcal was aware of Vitinha’s struggles with complying with Nuno’s requests at times, and hindsight has revealed that the former loanee was right to defy the demand for simplicity.