The start of the season is always a time for good intentions, goals, and looking forward to what may lie ahead. That’s how Vinicius is approaching the start of the new season, with many challenges ahead, many doubts and unknowns that need to be resolved, but above all, with the idea of getting back to his best football.
Vinicius and a new opportunity
Last season was one to forget for Vinicius: it started out as an exciting year, with the possibility of winning the Ballon d’Or, with the goal of becoming an important player again and winning new titles with Real Madrid. But nothing came of it, no individual titles, no team titles, and he showed his worst side on the pitch, far from his best form, and more in the spotlight for off-field issues than for his play.
But on top of all that, if the Brazilian has been in the news for anything, it has been for his contract renewal with Real Madrid, a topic that has been the subject of rumors and headlines since the end of January, with demands far above what the club can offer him, especially in a year where things have gone so badly.
It is now up to Vinicius to turn the situation around, win back the fans who grew tired of his attitude on and off the pitch, and win back a board that has doubts about his future and doubts that he can be the player he was in previous seasons.
Vinicius’ future
The fact is that Vinicius‘ future is far from certain. He wants to renew his contract, but he is demanding much, much more than the club is willing to give him, demanding to be the highest-paid player on the squad, demanding a renewal bonus, something that has never been paid at the club, and demanding to be number one.
A standoff has begun when the club felt that it was not the right time. Because you can demand when everything is going well, not when you are in the spotlight for unfortunate performances on and off the field, when you are involved in altercations with rivals and the opposing fans on a daily basis. And going head-to-head with Real Madrid is not usually a good idea.
Because Florentino Pérez knows that the club and the badge come before individuals, and when incidents like this have occurred, the players have never come out of it well, yet the club has continued to reap success year after year.
Real Madrid will have to give ground, but Vinicius will have to give even more if he wants to continue wearing the white shirt for many more years, because if not, he will end up leaving Real Madrid.
Vinicius’ renewal
The Brazilian has two years left on his contract with Real Madrid, but negotiations are currently at a standstill. The club wants to wait and see how he starts this new season with Xabi Alonso on the bench, whether he regains his best form, whether he works for the team and whether he stops getting involved in off-field incidents that only damage his image and that of the club. Vinicius is facing a new opportunity, perhaps his last chance, to prove that he is worthy of the badge and that he deserves a new contract, although no matter how much he demands, he will never get what he is asking for, but he could get close.