Did Vinicius Jr. Take Swipe at Xabi Alonso While Praising Carlo Ancelotti?
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. has been heavily in the limelight over the past few weeks at Real Madrid. Reduced minutes, on-field outbursts, and fan interactions have meant the media have gone heavy on the Brazilian.
Many have suggested that there is a rift with Los Blancos head coach Xabi Alonso. That looked to have boiled over during the El Clasico when the forward was brought off in the 62nd minute. It resulted in the 26-year-old storming down the tunnel.
Vini Jr. came out and apologized via social media, but in the post he failed to mention Xabi Alonso. That may have been accidental. However, comments about Carlo Ancelotti while on international duty could have been a swipe at his club coach.
Is There a Feud Brewing Between Vinicius Jr. and Xabi Alonso?
During the international break, Vinicius Jr. praised Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti. The 66-year-old was in charge of Vinicius Jr for several seasons during his time at Real Madrid, forming a strong bond. That has continued in Brazil, but were his recent words a subtle shot at Alonso?
"He is giving us confidence, making everyone feel comfortable, and taking advantage of each player's best characteristics in their positions. He gives us peace of mind, making the work easier, and everyone enjoys it."Vinicius Jr.
The words could easily be taken out of context, but they could be a subtle jab at the current Real Madrid coach. The words ‘taking advantage of each player’s best characteristics in their positions’ stand out as something that could be aimed at Alonso.
The first-year coach at Madrid has faced criticism for not getting the best out of his forward players, with Vini Jr. having had quiet games. That has perhaps resulted in Alonso not giving him the full 90 minutes regularly, something that has not gone down well.
That is something that would have never happened under Ancelotti, with Vinicius Jr. always starting and nearly always finishing games if they were tight. The change in coaching has been a shock for the Brazilian, who, as one of the best players in the world, believes he should be starting always.
This does not look like it is going to end well for one of them as both seem set in their ways of how things should be. Could we see Vinicius Jr. depart the club next summer? Or could Alonso be here for a brief stay?
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-031bbeb5612ca252e2129722373fa56d.png "Jordan Merritt")
Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
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