It was a party for Real Madrid in the latest edition of El Clásico. Xabi Alonso’s team defeated FC Barcelona 2–1 to strengthen their lead at the top of the LaLiga table. Despite earning three crucial points, not everything was positive for Madrid, as Vinicius Júnior’s attitude drew criticism during and after the game.
Vinicius unhappy at being subbed off
The Brazilian forward had been outstanding — creating space, winning duels, and causing constant danger around Barça’s box — but he also delivered an unfortunate image. Upon realizing he was being subbed off, the No. 7 launched into loud complaints toward the bench, clearly unhappy with Alonso’s decision.
As he left the pitch, Vinicius walked past Alonso shouting in frustration, then stormed toward the tunnel — a move that seemed designed to draw cameras — before quickly returning to the bench, where goalkeeper Andriy Lunin helped calm him down. Later, as the match neared its end, Vinicius reignited tension by gesturing toward Barça’s bench and signaling to Lamine Yamal, reminding him of his pregame comments. That situation led to a brawl between the players and the police on the pitch separating the players.
U.S. pundits call out Vinicius’ reaction
Across social media, several American soccer analysts criticized the Real Madrid star’s behavior. Former U.S. international and ESPN analyst Herculez Gómez wrote:
“I’ve defended Vini many times, but this behavior is unacceptable. It’s disrespectful to the coach and the teammate coming on. He was brilliant in the first half, but now the focus will be on his attitude instead of his performance.”
His ESPN colleague Mauricio Pedroza added:
“Vini, what a game. He’s playing at a phenomenal level. An exceptional footballer — but a terrible teammate. What he just did to Xabi Alonso is absolutely low-class.”
And in trademark sarcasm, FOX Soccer analyst Alexi Lalas chimed in:
“I love it. Performance art.”