Spanish Super Cup
“I’d knock Vinicius Jr out in 10 seconds”
Pablo Maffeo and Vinicius will come face to face when Mallorca take on Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal on January 9.
With only a few days until Real Madrid and Real Mallorca face off in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal on January 9 (3:00 p.m. ET), one of the most heated rivalries in recent years is set to reignite. Every time Pablo Maffeo and Vinicius Junior meet on the field, sparks fly.
In a chat on the Indómitos TV podcast, Maffeo talked about Vinicius and even jokingly challenged him to a fight. “In an alternate world, in a fictional life, I think it could be the most-watched fight in history. I believe I’d win, no doubt about it, I’d knock him out in 10 seconds.”
Mallorca’s Maffeo tries to ”get under Vinicius' skin”
Maffeo also shared his strategy for dealing with the Brazilian star: “I try to get under his skin to see if I can throw him off his game. The rivalry stays on the field, but I enjoy it.”
The defender recalled past encounters: “The tackle I made on him in the 2021/22 season was a clear red card. My foot went up, and it was definitely a red. There’s no justification, I got lucky. I still get sent pictures of my leg on his knee.”
“The one a few months ago wasn’t a red card. I was lucky the fourth official was close and saw the intensity. I went for the ball and stepped on him, but it wasn’t a red,” he insisted.
“Spain isn’t a racist country, but obviously there are a few idiots everywhere. It affects Vinicius, of course, it’s not pleasant. If I went to Africa and they called me a ‘white piece of crap,’ it would affect me too… It affects him, it’s very wrong, and it needs to be condemned. I don’t think he provokes it to get insulted. He makes mistakes like we all do, like how he talks to players or referees, but I don’t think he plays the race card,” Maffeo concluded.
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