Former Real Madrid defender Vinicius Tobias spoke to Marca about his time at the club, reflecting on his development, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he took from training alongside some of the world’s best players.
Tobias also reserved special praise for Vinicius Jr, highlighting both his quality on the pitch and his character off it.
“The truth is that Vinicius Jr is a perfect player. He has many qualities, both on and off the field. As a person, he’s an excellent teammate. And he’s a very
hard worker. So, I think a lot of people talk about Vini… but for me, they should also talk about everyone who plays for Real Madrid. Because it’s not just one player who makes the difference. It’s everyone. But Vini, for me, the work he’s been doing, the matches he’s played, for me, is excellent.”
The Brazilian right-back detailed how his move to Europe came quickly, arriving at Real Madrid without prior first-team experience and needing to adjust to a completely new environment.
“I think every player has to do different things to reach the level they dream of playing at. So, I arrived in Madrid and I didn’t have any experience as a first-team professional player, to be honest. Because in Brazil I was playing with the Under-20s. And I went to Shakhtar, I was there for a month and then I went to Madrid. So, when I arrived in Madrid, it was a different life, with great players, a different job… So, I had to adapt to the work first. The work I had there with Ancelotti, with Raúl, was excellent for me as a person, in terms of the way they worked, changing my style of play, my body, maintaining my fitness… I think Madrid was the best experience I’ve ever had. So, now that I know how things work, I think I have to work hard, play well in matches so that one day I can return to Madrid or go to another big team.”
Despite the challenges, Tobias emphasized how valuable the experience was, even if it meant more observation than playing time.
“Of course, for me it has been the best possible experience in Madrid. It has also been a difficult time because I wanted to play with the great players, but it has also been good to observe the players, what they did, so that I can do it now too and become a player like them.”
Looking back, Tobias acknowledged that timing may not have been in his favor, especially given the injuries that later affected Real Madrid’s right-back depth. Still, he remains focused on improving and earning another opportunity.
“I could be a different player if I had stayed with the first team, because look, now the first team has many young players making their debuts, players who played with me at Castilla, who are now in the first team. So, for me, I don’t know if I was unlucky, because when I left, Carvajal got injured, Lucas Vázquez got injured too… they didn’t have another full-back, and Valverde was also playing at full-back in many matches because they didn’t have anyone else. So, I don’t think about bad luck or anything like that: what I have to do now is work so that one day I can return.”
