Real Madrid footballer Vinicius Jr is going through one of the worst moments since he wore the Real Madrid shirt and tonight he has the opportunity to turn the situation around in the match, to date, the most important of the season.
Vinicius in the spotlight
Vinicius is in the spotlight of the fans and also of the board. The player had the best season of his career last year, but this season he has been well below expectations. There are several factors that have caused this situation.
Everything started to go wrong with the Ballon d’Or awards. The Brazilian player was the favorite to win it, but in the end Rodrigo took the award. The reaction of the football world gave the Brazilian wings, as he could not understand how the trophy had been given to the Spanish player, who had been key in Spain’s victory in the European Championship.
Then came the famous offer from Saudi Arabia, in which they offered the footballer 1 billion euros for five seasons. This issue has been put on hold until the end of the season, but the footballer, not very convinced of such a long-term contract in a league with inferior competition, is said to have used the offer to demand to be the highest paid player at Real Madrid.
On the other hand, the footballer has been involved in recurring episodes and confrontations with rivals and opposing fans, being one of the most singled out players in the league. And finally, he called into doubt the celebration of the World Cup in Spain in 2030 and the final at the Santiago Bernabéu due to racism, statements that were not at all well received.
All this has been endured by the Real Madrid fans until everything non-sporting has reached the pitch. Since these episodes happened, Vinicius has not played football as we were used to, and this has caused a large part of the white fans to point the finger at him. It is not only that he no longer plays football as he used to, but also the lack of commitment he shows on the pitch, where he seems more concerned with receiving the ball and making his move than with the slightest commitment to teamwork and defending.
Vinicius, focused on regaining confidence
In recent weeks, it seems that Vinicius is focused on turning the situation around. He is still not playing well, but it seems that his commitment in recent games has been growing. Those close to the player say that he is only focused on one thing, achieving his objectives at the end of the season. He has put everything else on the back burner and does not want to hear about contract renewals, Saudi Arabia or any other topic that might distract him from playing football. In fact, he has stopped making statements in recent months.
Great opportunity for Vinicius
Tonight Vinicius has a great opportunity to change the script for this season. The comeback against Arsenal requires hard work and commitment from everyone. As Ancelotti said at a press conference, and Alcaraz before him, it takes “head, heart and guts”. If Real Madrid wants to experience a magical night at the Santiago Bernabéu again, they need the best version of their stars. We need to see Vinicius causing havoc, the unstoppable Vinicius, creating one goal-scoring opportunity after another.
Vinicius needs to get back to his best and so does Real Madrid. He has a great opportunity to show that he is capable of overcoming difficult moments and that Real Madrid is above all else.