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Vinicius Jr apologises for his outburst during El Clasico but no mention of manager Xabi Alonso in note
While Vinicius revealed he had personally apologised to his teammates and club president, notably absent from his statement was any mention of Xabi Alonso.
Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr has issued an apology for his angry outburst during last Sunday's El Clasico, in which his team won 2-1 against arch-rivals Barcelona. Vinicius lost his cool and threw tantrums when the manager decided to substitute in the second half, storming into the tunnel right after that.
He was replaced by Rodrygo in the 71st minute of the match, despite playing a decent game thus far where he was a key part in the winning goal and running Barcelona's right back Jules Kounde ragged during the fiery encounter.
Despite Real’s emphatic win over their arch-rivals, Vini’s conduct towards manager Xabi Alonso — walking straight to the dressing room without interaction — clouded what should have been a joyous moment, even as the club snapped a four-match losing streak.
While Vinicius revealed he had personally apologised to his teammates and club president Florentino Perez, notably absent from his statement was any mention of Alonso.
"Today I want to apologise to all Real Madrid fans for my reaction when I was substituted in El Clasico," Vinicius said via his social media accounts. "As I have already done in person during today's training session, I also want to apologise again to my teammates, the club and the president."
The 25-year-old attributed his outburst to his competitive drive, explaining: "Sometimes my passion gets the better of me because I always want to win and help my team. My competitive nature stems from the love I feel for this club and everything it represents."
Vini not the main man in Real Madrid anymore
Vinicius' relationship with Xabi Alonso has been far from smooth since the Spaniard took charge in May. Despite his growing chemistry with Kylian Mbappe, Alonso has frequently taken him off early in games. With Mbappe’s arrival, Vini’s “main man” status at Real Madrid has noticeably faded.
But even after storming off the pitch, his part in a testy match was not over. He reemerged just before the final whistle after Pedri was sent off and a fight broke out between the teams. He had to be shepherded away from the scene as he argued with Barca players.
Real have 27 points at the top of the LaLiga standings, five ahead of Barcelona in second.
