Vinicius Junior told Xabi Alonso he would 'leave' Real Madrid in his furious reaction to his substitution during the Clasico win over Barcelona on Sunday evening. The Brazilian winger was visibly frustrated at being withdrawn when there was potentially still plenty still to play for and made his feelings known by storming straight down the tunnel to the dressing rooms.
Vini Jr left angry by substitution
Venting his fury after being removed with 72 minutes played, Vinicius allegedly pointed out that he has often started and not finished games this season. Alonso has opted to replace the Brazilian before the end in seven of his 10 starts across La Liga and the Champions League so far in 2025-26. Clearly very angry that it had happened again, especially when Los Blancos only had a slender one-goal lead and could have done with another to make things more comfortable, the winger directed his anger at Alonso as he walked from the pitch. As it was, 2-1 was enough to secure all three points, but Vini Jr couldn't bear to sit on the bench and just watch.
"Always me," he is believed to have said, before adding that it would be better for everyone if he wasn't left to stew on his feelings. "I'm leaving the team, it's better if I leave, I'm leaving," the player said, before taking off back inside. Eventually, he returned and was involved in the furious post-match confrontations centred around Barcelona's Lamine Yamal.
AdvertisementGettyReal Madrid star defends his behaviour
In an effort to explain why he had acted as he did, Vinicius addressed supporters with comments made afterwards.
"I have a message to all Madridistas, especially those who came to Bernabeu and supported us passionately," he said. "This is how the Clasico is; there are many things happening on and off the pitch. We try to maintain balance, but that's not always possible. We didn'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."
Alonso refused to be critical
Alonso showed understanding as he reflected on what happened when Vinicius Jr. was taken off, also suggesting that the under fire Brazilian wasn't the only player disappointed with not being allowed the chance to complete the match.
"The only thing Vinicius was missing was a goal," he told reporters. "It's true that he came off the pitch when he was feeling best and I could have waited a bit to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control. Vinicius wanted to stay on because he was feeling good.
"Franco [Mastantuono] wanted to carry on playing too. He said to me, 'Are you taking me off?' And I said, 'Yes'. Something similar happened with Vini. He wasn't very happy, but neither was Franco. It happens to everyone, but I'm very happy with Vinicius's performance. The schedule is demanding and we have to keep going."
Getty ImagesPersistent Vini Jr transfer links fuelled
Although his utterance of the words "leaving the team" may have been in reference to not wanting to sit on the bench and risk his visible anger manifesting into something even more serious and regrettable, it won't fail to fuel transfer speculation that has persisted for the past year or more. It is becoming increasingly clear to fans and onlookers that Vinicius and Alonso are regularly clashing, with the player's understandable ego and determination to ultimately be the main man not clicking with a coach who likes to rotate as much as possible to compete simultaneously in multiple settings.
There are very few places the Brazilian could go and still command the same level of prestige and salary. The riches of Paris Saint-Germain no longer feels an option given the way that Luis Enrique has completely overhauled the culture of the squad, casting out egos in favour of team players. The only truly viable alternative from a financial point of view is the Saudi Pro League, which could see Vinicius leaving European football – still very much viewed as the pinnacle of the sport despite the undeniable ambition of the oil rich Gulf nation to change the status quo – before even hitting his peak.