Vinicius has been in the news in recent weeks after a season far from his usual standard, with a questionable attitude and constant controversy. The player was on the verge of winning the Ballon d’Or and coming second does not seem to have gone down well with him. He has lost focus to such an extent that his place in the Real Madrid starting line-up is being questioned. All this amid financial differences over his contract renewal, which have raised questions about a possible departure from the club that will not happen this summer. How did this situation come about?
Vinicius’ year
Vinicius ended last season having won LaLiga and the Champions League, where he was instrumental in the final in helping the club lift their 15th trophy with his goal against Borussia Dortmund. It was a sweet ending that was marred by the Ballon d’Or gala, which neither the club nor the player attended after learning that he would finish second behind Rodri. It was taken for granted that the Brazilian would win after his great season, and it was a hard blow that the player seems to have had trouble accepting.
Since then, the player has not been himself, except for a few moments during the season. The arrival of Mbappé, the loss of confidence due to the Ballon d’Or blow and his provocative attitude, which is met with chants of ‘beach ball’ and insults, have all worked against the Brazilian, whose numbers are not very different from last season, but he has played more games and should have improved. Specifically, this season he has played 4,631 minutes in 58 games, scoring 22 goals and providing 19 assists, many of them to Mbappé. Last season, he played 3,084 minutes in 39 games, scoring 24 goals and providing 13 assists.
Beyond the numbers, on many occasions we have seen a Vinicius who is lacking in motivation, passive and uncommitted defensively, as several of his teammates have accused him of, with high-profile arguments with Bellingham and Modric on the pitch. In addition, his capricious attitude has cost him more than one card from the referees. The Brazilian has been the talk of the town throughout the season, but not exactly for his brilliance on the pitch.
A lackluster World Cup
His poor season under Carlo Ancelotti carried over to the World Cup under Xabi Alonso. The Brazilian started all six games in the tournament, although there was speculation that he would be a substitute against PSG, largely due to the absence of Mbappé and the ostracism of Rodrygo. Only against Salzburg did Vinicius show flashes of the player he is, because in the rest of the games he went unnoticed and again showed a certain passivity and lack of commitment in defense, something that the new coach attaches great importance to.
Two videos of the player went viral during the tournament and angered Madrid fans. One of them was during an attack where Bellingham had the ball at the edge of the area and the Brazilian had the whole wing free to run in and look for a pass. However, he was seen walking and watching the play from afar with no intention of participating, helping the team, or creating danger. The other video was taken during the match against PSG when the team was already losing 3-0 and he was seen laughing on the bench.
Xabi Alonso is not sure
With these attitudes and his questionable performance on the pitch, Xabi Alonso is not sure what to do with Vinicius. As we said, several journalists point out that if it hadn’t been for Trent’s injury against PSG, which forced Fede Valverde to play at full-back and the Brazilian to move to the right wing, the coach’s idea was to leave Vini Jr on the bench.
The club has given the coach carte blanche to manage the starting line-up and egos as he sees fit, and that puts the Brazilian in the spotlight.
Xabi Alonso made it clear from the day he was presented that a place in the starting eleven was earned through hard work and not through names. Vinicius is undoubtedly one of the greatest talents in the squad, but the coach wants to play as a unit, with everyone attacking and defending, and it has become clear that, at least for the moment, the Brazilian is not really up to the task. In addition, the coach must deal with the fact that his partnership with Mbappé is not working and that there are two roosters in the henhouse…
A renewal in the air
Parallel to the whole football issue is the renewal of Real Madrid’s number 7. The player has a contract until 2027 and there has been speculation for months about a renewal agreement that has not been reached due to financial differences. Initially, there was talk of an agreement where the club was considering a salary close to 20 million (including variables).
Right now, the player is earning around 15 million, but he is demanding to be on par with Mbappé, who is earning around 30 million euros. This demand, coupled with a renewal bonus, has not gone down well with Real Madrid, who are refusing to budge, especially at a time when his importance and performance in the squad do not put them in a position to negotiate and play hardball.