 "Vinicius Jr had to be restrained as he tried to confront Lamine Yamal after the El Clásico on Sunday. Image: Reuters")
Vinicius Jr hogged the limelight for all the wrong reasons in the El Clásico on Sunday as Real Madrid defeated Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. This was the first El Clásico for new manager Real Xabi Alonso, and the former Los Blancos midfielder was given a winning start by Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, who scored one each for Real.
Vinicius, who won the Best FIFA Men’s Player award in 2024, had a subdued game, by his standards, and was substituted in the 72nd minute due to his poor defensive work. Alonso’s decision, however, did not sit well with the 25-year-old Brazilian winger as he lost his cool.
Vinicius grabs attention for rant against Alonso, Yamal fight
Vinicius was seen ranting vociferously on his way to the dugout as he walked past Alonso and decided to walk back to the locker room instead of taking a seat on the bench.
The Ballon d’Or 2024 runner-up, Vinicius, eventually returned to the bench a few minutes later, before becoming the focal point in the post-match clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona players. Vinicius had to be restrained as he tried to confront Lamine Yamal.
Yamal had created a controversy before the match with his comments against Real Madrid, accusing them of cheating and complaining to referees. ‘They (Real) rob [a reference to refereeing decisions], they complain, they do things,” Lamine had said recently.
As the match ended on Sunday, Real captain Dani Carvajal went after Yamal, confronting him over his remarks. “You speak too much. Speak now,” Carvajal was seen telling Yamal while also making gestures of talking with his hand.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also tried to argue with Yamal as he was blocked by other players. But Vinicius went a step further, looking determined to make things physical, aggressively approaching Yamal for a confrontation, only to be restrained by teammates and support staff.
Vinicius was also seen mimicking a mouth with his hand as he gestured towards Yamal.
While speaking to the media after the match, Vinicius regretted the brawl but defended his actions, saying that intense games like El Clásico sometimes bring the worst out of the players.
“A message to all Madridistas, especially those who came to the Bernabeu and supported us passionately: This is how El Clásico is, there are many things happening on and off the pitch,” he said.
“We try to maintain balance, but that’s not always possible. We don’t want to offend anyone, neither the young players nor the fans.
“We know that when we step onto the pitch, we have to play our role, and that’s how it was today. Hala Madrid.”