In the just-concluded Champions League match of this round, Real Madrid lost 1-2 to Manchester City at home after being reversed.
Tomás Roncero, editor-in-chief of Spanish media outlet AS, wrote a column criticizing Vinícius Júnior's recent performance and form.
Since I first set foot in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in 1973 (52 years ago), I have witnessed countless games and experienced a whirlwind of emotions in this temple on Paseo de la Castellana. Based on this long experience, I dare to call myself an expert in interpreting the sentiments of the stadium's stands.
The boos from the fans towards Vinícius on Wednesday were not aimed at his lackluster performance (though that was indeed the case against Manchester City), but a reminder: the root cause of the team's current troubles—poor results and lack of commitment (except in the two games against Athletic Bilbao and Manchester City)—is his unreasonable outburst when substituted during the El Clásico.
That childish tantrum created a rift between Xabi Alonso and some members of the dressing room. The manager's authority was thus damaged—Vinícius should have received a reasonable bench penalty for his attitude, not to mention he didn't even mention the manager's name in his public apology.
The Brazilian spoiled the celebratory atmosphere after the El Clásico victory, which was followed by Real Madrid dropping points against Rayo Vallecano, Elche, and Girona, as well as the pain of a 0-2 loss to Celta Vigo at the Bernabéu last Sunday. Adding to Vinícius' 12-game goalless streak, it's easy to understand why the demanding Bernabéu stands reacted this way. We all cherish Vinícius, but certainly not his current self-destructive cycle...
