Brazilian football legend Rivaldo has come out swinging in his defense of Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior after being substituted during Sunday's intense El Clasico match. In a statement that appears to be aimed directly at new manager Xabi Alonso, the former Barcelona star condemned the coach's decision, calling it "ugly" and suggesting that Alonso may have been motivated by jealousy.
Rivaldo pointed out that Vinicius had an outstanding performance in Madrid's 2-1 win over arch-rivals Barcelona, scoring crucial goals and showing his quality on the pitch. The winger's tantrum, which was witnessed by an estimated 650 million viewers worldwide, soured what could have been a memorable afternoon for Los Blancos.
However, Rivaldo acknowledged that Vinicius's reaction was not entirely justified, but said it was understandable given the circumstances. He argued that the substitution was unfair, particularly since Vinicius had already experienced being substituted in other games and felt he was being singled out. "A player like Vinicius, who is worth so much to Real Madrid and is the club's heritage, cannot spend seven games being substituted," Rivaldo wrote.
Rivaldo also hinted that Alonso may have been trying to make an example of Vinicius in a bid to assert his authority as coach. The former Barca star suggested that sometimes coaches try to win over their players by showing they can handle the most talented individuals, with Alonso potentially trying to prove he could do it with Vinicius.
The comments from Rivaldo come after the Brazilian apologized for his behavior following the match, although his statement did not mention Alonso. With tensions between Alonso and Vinicius now in the open, it remains to be seen how things will play out between the coach and his star player, particularly when Real Madrid takes on Valencia at the weekend or Liverpool at Anfield a few days later.
Rivaldo pointed out that Vinicius had an outstanding performance in Madrid's 2-1 win over arch-rivals Barcelona, scoring crucial goals and showing his quality on the pitch. The winger's tantrum, which was witnessed by an estimated 650 million viewers worldwide, soured what could have been a memorable afternoon for Los Blancos.
However, Rivaldo acknowledged that Vinicius's reaction was not entirely justified, but said it was understandable given the circumstances. He argued that the substitution was unfair, particularly since Vinicius had already experienced being substituted in other games and felt he was being singled out. "A player like Vinicius, who is worth so much to Real Madrid and is the club's heritage, cannot spend seven games being substituted," Rivaldo wrote.
Rivaldo also hinted that Alonso may have been trying to make an example of Vinicius in a bid to assert his authority as coach. The former Barca star suggested that sometimes coaches try to win over their players by showing they can handle the most talented individuals, with Alonso potentially trying to prove he could do it with Vinicius.
The comments from Rivaldo come after the Brazilian apologized for his behavior following the match, although his statement did not mention Alonso. With tensions between Alonso and Vinicius now in the open, it remains to be seen how things will play out between the coach and his star player, particularly when Real Madrid takes on Valencia at the weekend or Liverpool at Anfield a few days later.
I gotta say, I'm torn about this whole situation with Vinicius and Xabi Alonso... 
On one hand, you can't blame Vinicius for being upset after getting yanked out of the game like that - it's a big part of the game, but when it happens to your star player, it's bound to get under his skin. 
And I mean, who wouldn't want to be treated like they're expendable just because you're a top player? 
Rivaldo makes some valid points about how coaches can sometimes use their most talented players as pawns to assert authority. It's not all black and white here, folks! 
The thing is, Vinicius and Alonso are already on a collision course, so it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out... especially if Alonso decides to stick with his guns or try to win over Vinicius like Rivaldo suggested. 
The drama is gonna be real! 
Rivaldo just came for Xabi Alonso with some major shade 
! Like I get why Vinicius was salty about being subbed off, but Rivaldo's defending him so hard 
and also kinda throwing shade at Alonso... "A player like Vinicius, who is worth so much to Real Madrid and is the club's heritage" 
- that's some real talk 
. And honestly, I feel for Vinicius, he's been through some stuff with subs in the past and it's understandable why he'd freak out a bit 
. Alonso's gonna have to win him over or at least make things clear if he wants Vinicius to stay chill 
It's not fair to the player and it's definitely not what you want in a team. Alonso needs to figure out a way to keep Vinicius happy or make him see that he's more important than any win 
I hope things calm down before the next game, but if Rivaldo is right, Alonso might be in for a tough ride 
, but you can't blame him really. I mean, he's got a point about being substituted again 
. Rivaldo's comments were probably a low-key diss at Alonso, but I get why Vinicius is upset 
The drama between Alonso and Vinicius is about to get a whole lot more intense 
.
it's hard to say what's right or wrong here. maybe alonso just wanted to try something new? 
the guy knows what's good for the team and vinicius is basically a superstar so he can't just chill when his number gets called 