Vinicius Junior feels he does not have the ‘respect’ of Xabi Alonso and is ‘seriously considering’ the prospect of leaving Real Madrid, according to explosive reports in Spain.
The 25-year-old is widely regarded to be among the most exciting attacking talents in European football having helped Madrid win 14 pieces of silverware since arriving at the Bernabeu back in 2018.
But there have been rumblings of a growing tension between Vinicius and Alonso over recent weeks and the situation reached boiling point during Madrid’s Clasico defeat of Barcelona at the weekend.
After starting on the bench for Madrid’s previous league clash with Getafe, Vinicius was recalled to Alonso’s XI as goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham sealed Madrid a 2-1 win over their bitter rivals.
But the sight of an incensed Vinicius storming straight down the tunnel after being substituted in the 72nd minute has taken some of the gloss off of Los Blancos’ victory – the club’s fifth on the spin in all competitions.
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‘Me? Me? Mister, mister! Me?’ Vinicius was heard yelling in Alonso’s direction as the fourth official showed his No.7 on the board.
As he approached the bench, Vinicius is alleged to have muttered, ‘Always me! I’m leaving the team! I’m leaving, I’d better go!’, before making his way straight for the home dressing room.
Vinicius has only seen out the full 90 minutes in three of Madrid’s first 13 matches of the season and the Brazil international is now strongly mulling over his future in the Spanish capital.
According to Madrid-based newspaper AS, the three-time La Liga winner thinks his ‘status isn’t respected’ by Alonso and ‘the option of leaving’ is now ‘being seriously considered’.
Vinicius – the 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up – is increasingly adamant that Alonso ‘doesn’t like him’ and the deteriorating relationship between player and manager is fast becoming a ‘massive problem’ for the club.
However, it’s claimed Madrid’s hierarchy remain fully supportive of the way Alonso has handled Vinicius – and are prepared to back any decision the Spaniard makes with the superstar forward.
Bernabeu bosses took a dim view of Vinicius’ questionable behaviour on Sunday evening and there is the possibility the attacker could be slapped with a hefty fine, as has happened in similar cases in recent memory.
Alonso was also far from impressed by Vinicius’ conduct in the moment, especially given the match’s global audience and cultural significance.
Vinicius first aired his simmering frustrations behind the scenes after dropping down to the substitutes bench for Madrid’s opening Champions League group-stage match with Marseille last month.
The report suggests this resulted in Vinicius informing his inner circle that he could not rule out the possibility of a move away from Madrid in the January transfer window.
While a later meeting had calmed the waters, Vinicius’ heated altercation with Alonso at the weekend has seen the feeling of tension bubble to the surface again.
Facing the media after Madrid’s Clasico triumph, Alonso said he was relaxed about the situation and would speak privately with Vinicius in due course.
‘I’m taking away many positive things from Vini’s game and I don’t want to lose focus on what’s important,’ the Madrid head coach told reporters.
‘He contributed a lot. It’s an important victory, a deserved one.
‘Regaining the feeling of a competitive team in big games is important. All coaches know there are different personalities.
‘Now we’ll enjoy it, and when the time comes we’ll talk about these things in the changing room, of course.’
Vinicius’ representatives have reportedly held discussions with teams in the Saudi Pro League in the past, with some clubs reportedly willing to offer in excess of £200million for the attacker.
The former Flamengo man is tied into a contract with Madrid until June 2027.
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