Xabi Alonso ‘returns the favor’ to Vinicius Jr

With the echoes of whistles still ringing around the renovated Bernabéu, Vinícius is resting in Dubai until the team returns to training at the end of the year. Since Carlo Ancelotti’s departure, everything has become more complicated for the Brazilian, the great idol of the fanbase during the club’s last two Champions League triumphs. Now, however, he finds himself questioned – both for his attitude and for a clear dip in form.

The player is still processing the latest episode: the loud jeering from club members when he was substituted ten minutes before halftime against Sevilla, a game in which he had also worn the captain’s armband.

The Brazilian’s first instinct was to post an enigmatic message on Instagram, sharing a brief caption (“…”) and changing his profile picture from a Real Madrid image to one of himself wearing the Brazil jersey. The reality is that, in a way, what happened during and after the Sevilla game – intentionally or not – saw Xabi Alonso return Vinícius to the same situation he faced after El Clásico, when Vini angrily complained about being taken off and later issued an apology statement that did not even mention the coach by name.

Against Sevilla, Xabi Alonso exposed Vinícius to the court of public opinion with the substitution. He wanted to keep Kylian Mbappé on the field, who was in fine form and chasing the record of 59 goals in a calendar year. He also kept Rodrygo on, who, after an outstanding performance, would have been applauded by the Bernabéu crowd. Even so, after the scene, Vini once again embraced Xabi, as he had done in previous matches – most recently against Alavés, when the Brazilian bailed the Tolosa-born coach out with an assist, fittingly, for Rodrygo.

Xabi’s message in the postgame press conference was far more measured, delivered without the tension of the match still unfolding. He did not publicly defend Vinícius when asked – twice – about what had happened. In response to the first question, he simply said, “The crowd is sovereign,” before moving on to a topic that had nothing to do with Vinícius.

When asked again about the whistles aimed at Vini, Xabi Alonso said that everyone had said their goodbyes for the vacation and that the issue had not been discussed in the locker room. Two answers that fell well short of offering public backing for his player – a gesture Vinícius would have greatly appreciated.

All the same, the forward remains calm, using the break to reset after the tension of the first half of the season and aware that the best version of Vinícius has yet to be seen in the final stretch, just before the Club World Cup and the Madrid’s biggest games.

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