Vinicius Junior‘s decaying relationship with Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is said to have reached ‘red-hot’ levels of tension as the Brazil star considers his future.
The winger reacted furiously to being substituted with 18 minutes to go in Madrid’s 2-1 El Clasico victory over Barcelona on Sunday.
Their already tense relationship has escalated to an ‘unsustainable conflict’ and Vinicius feels his status has been disrespected, according to Spanish outlet AS.
But Alonso – who joined in the summer and has Los Blancos five points clear at the top of LaLiga – is said to have the full backing of Madrid’s hierarchy in any dispute.
The 43-year-old is reportedly ‘seriously angry’ with Vinicius’ behaviour, an attitude which is echoed in the corridors of power at the Santiago Bernabeu.
All this means that Vinicius is considering trying to leave as early as January, AS claims, although the 25-year-old ideally wants to stay and even extend his contract beyond its 2027 expiry date if the situation heals.
He and Madrid reportedly had a conversation earlier this season about how his influence had been limited and he came away satisfied, only for things to carry on.
Vinicius has only completed a full 90 minutes on three occasions this season and has also been forced to come off the bench three times.
With Kylian Mbappe finding his best form, and Jude Bellingham regaining his footing after his injury, he is not considered to be the star of the show despite feeling that he works hard at both ends.
Couple that with the fact that Vinicius has had a hard time facing racist abuse from Spanish crowds ever since joining in 2018, and it leads to a scenario where he feels he may be better respected elsewhere.
On Sunday, he and Alonso clashed in front of everybody at the Bernabeu after he was hauled off.
When Vinicius saw his number flash up on the board, he repeatedly asked, ‘Me?!’ before calling out, ‘Coach, coach!’ as he reluctantly made his way to the bench.
While Alonso kept his distance, cameras caught him looking frustrated and muttering, ‘Come on, Vini, damn it…’
After shaking hands with his team-mate and close friend Rodrygo, Vinicius’s protests grew louder.
‘Always me,’ he said, raising his arms and addressing Alonso’s assistant, Sebas Parrilla. ‘I’m leaving the team. It’s better if I leave – I’m leaving,’ he continued, before heading straight down the tunnel.
The winger then proceeded to return to the bench where he watched the rest of the match as if nothing had happened. And in the closing moments he stood alongside goalscorers Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, both of whom had also been replaced.
The Brazilian was implicated again when he became involved in a post-match brawl between the two teams.
Credit: dailymail.co.uk
