Over the first quarter-century of the new millennium, we’ve seen quite a few dynasties emerge in European football. Bayern Munich has established a chokehold over German football, Juventus won an unprecedented nine straight Scudetto titles before subsiding at the start of the 2020s, whilst Manchester City has made history by winning four straight Premier League titles. Shakhtar Donetsk have asserted themselves as Ukraine’s top dogs under CEO Sergey Palkin, whilst Paris Saint-Germain has cemented
themselves as France’s uncontested kings. Perhaps the most impressive dynasty, however, has been that of Real Madrid.
After a glamorous turn-of-the-century spell that saw Real Madrid win three UEFA Champions League titles in a six-year span, Los Blancos succumbed to a 12-year dry spell. Club president Florentino Pérez’s burning desire to stack the team with Galácticos at the expense of team balance meant that Real lost their competitive edge and cohesiveness and struggled to hold firm in the highest-stakes scenarios. It wasn’t until the appointment of José Mourinho and subsequent arrival of Carlo Ancelotti that Real started to grow their fangs back and become a force to be reckoned with in Europe, eventually culminating in La Décima – the coveted 10th European Cup – in 2014.
Over the following decade, Real have added five more Champions League titles to their trophy display, and they’ve done so thanks to a strong team spirit. Even with a number of world-class superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, Real Madrid have been able to maintain this competitive structure, one based in respect, resilience and hard work, where no one player is bigger than the team. It’s precisely these strong values which resulted in such an ugly aftertaste for Vinícius Júnior’s actions on Sunday.
The Brazilian attacker stepped into Karim Benzema’s void and established himself as Real’s attacking leader in 2023/24, guiding Real to their second league + Champions League double. But just when he looked set to take home the 2024 Ballon d’Or award, Rodri beat Vinicius to the honor of the world’s best player. This humiliation, combined with the sacrifices of having to yield the spotlight to Kylian Mbappé as the club’s new franchise star, has brought about plenty of challenges for Vinícius. Having registered 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 appearances in 2023/24, Vinícius’ numbers took a dip with 22 goals and 19 assists in 58 appearances as Real failed to win a single major trophy. It’s why Real decided to move on from Ancelotti after four years and hire Xabi Alonso.
So far, Vinícius has shown plenty of signs for positivity, and some for skepticism. After playing 78 minutes in their opener vs. Osasuna, he scored a goal and assist off the bench vs. Oviedo, before starting three straight matches and grabbing a goal vs. Mallorca. He then dropped to the bench for their Champions League opener vs. Marseille, before starting five straight matches and racking up six goal contributions. After returning from the October international break, Vinícius came off the bench in a 1-0 win vs. Getafe before starting in a 1-0 win against Juventus. And whilst he wreaked plenty of havoc down the left flank in the weekend’s Clásico against defending LaLiga champions Barcelona, he nevertheless failed to produce a goal contribution for the fourth straight match for Real.
When his number was shown in the 72nd minute, Vinícius did not go gently. Instead, he exploded in ire at having to be subbed off for Rodrygo, complaining, ‘It’s always me, I’m leaving the team, it’s better if I leave,” before heading down the tunnel. As opposed to Mbappé, who is licensed to play just about every single minute under Alonso, Vinícius has lasted the 90 minutes in just three of his 13 appearances. Whereas Ancelotti had played Vinícius and Rodrygo on opposite flanks, Alonso has the two competing for the starting left winger position.
Vinícius returned to the pitch shortly after and starred in a post-match scuffle, which earned him a booking. He lamented his outburst in a social media post on Wednesday, stating, “Today I want to apologize to all Madrid fans for my reaction to being substituted in the Clásico. As I already did in person during today’s training, I also want to apologize again to my teammates, the club and the president. Sometimes passion gets the better of me because I always want to win and help my team. My competitive nature comes from the love I feel for this club and for everything it represents. I promise to keep fighting every second for the good of Real Madrid, as I have done since day one.”
Perhaps not coincidentally, Vinícius decided to omit Alonso’s name from his message, reflecting an increasingly turbulent situation for a player who has had to go through quite a lot of unwanted attention in recent weeks. Vinícius, whose contract expires in 2027, has earned himself plenty of speculation regarding his long-term future, with Real Madrid reportedly unkeen to bring his salary up to that of Mbappé’s. With his place in the starting line-up under increasing threat, and his long-term stay in Madrid under scrutiny, it’s perhaps no surprise that Vinícius exploded in fury and embarrassed himself and his team with a temper tantrum, prompting him to deliver an apology.
It was his second public apology this month, having apologized to his girlfriend, Brazilian TV presenter Virginia Fonseca, with news media reporting that Vinícius messaged several models while they were dating. Shortly after his apology to his girlfriend, Vinícius’ house in Madrid caught fire whilst the forward was away in South Korea. The fire broke out in the basement and destroyed the ceiling of his sauna.
“I’m not ashamed to admit that I was careless and that I disappointed her. Everyone goes through moments that make us reflect and grow. Recently, I experienced a situation that made me think and recognize attitudes that didn’t reflect who I want to be or the kind of relationships I want to build.
“Virginia is an incredible woman, an admirable mother, and someone for whom I feel enormous affection and respect. Since we met, she’s come to Madrid three times to see me, leaving behind her routine, her commitments, and her life just to be with me. I met an admirable mother and an amazing partner. Although we weren’t officially a couple yet, there was a sincere connection. I’m not ashamed to admit that I was careless, that I didn’t respond in the best way, and that I disappointed her. That’s why I want to apologize publicly, with an open heart, because I’ve come to understand that a real relationship only exists when there’s respect, trust, and transparency. The idea now is to start over – no lies, no fights, no masks. With lots of love, affection, and respect.”
At 25 years of age, it’s time for Vinícius to start maturing and keeping a lid on his emotions in order to keep Real Madrid’s team chemistry at the highest level possible. One bad egg can spoil the entire bunch, and it’s undeniable that Vinícius is starting to look more displeased than his teammates with his current situation. If that’s the case, it’s best if Real start planning a future without Vinícius.
