Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior has insisted that his angry outburst towards his second-half substitution and the on-field scuffle that brought Sunday’s Clásico to an ugly end were simply examples of what makes Los Blancos’ meetings with Barcelona so special.
An impressive 2–1 win over Barcelona meant Madrid fans left the Santiago Bernabéu with smiles on their faces, but the game did not pass without controversy. Things threatened to turn sour for Madrid with 20 minutes to go when Vinicius failed to hide his fury towards manager Xabi Alonso’s decision to withdraw him.
A furious on-field reaction, which some have gone as far as to claim saw Vinicius threaten to leave Madrid altogether, was followed by the sight of the Brazilian storming straight down the tunnel, only to skulk back to the bench later on.
Having returned to the fray, Vinicius had a front-row seat for the fight that occurred after the final whistle. The Brazilian was booked for his role in the incident, which is thought to have stemmed from Lamine Yamal’s prematch taunts.
Speaking to Real Madrid TV after the game, Vinicius did not discuss his reaction to the substitution but acknowledged the game was full of the sort of heated moments which makes El Clásico arguably the world’s most famous fixture.
“That’s what El Clásico is like; there are many things on and off the pitch,” he said.
“We try to balance it all, but it’s not always possible. We don’t want to offend anyone, neither the Barça players nor the fans. We know that when we go out there, we have to play our part, and that was the case today.”
