Vinicius and Real Madrid, on the same page

Vinicius heard the Bernabéu crowd’s disapproval at certain moments during the Champions League match against Manchester City. True to his style, the Brazilian kept trying everything, but nothing came off. He isn’t bothered by the criticism — he understands it — but he is focused on getting back to his best on the pitch.

Inside the locker room, he has admitted he still doesn’t feel fully sharp physically, something that naturally affects his trademark explosiveness and endurance. His biggest strength has always been the closing stages of matches, but that burst has been missing in recent months, or at least hasn’t appeared with its usual consistency.

Club management, starting with the president, remain at ease about the situation, particularly after hearing Vinicius’s explanation for the dip — a reason that aligns with internal reports from Valdebebas on the squad’s current condition. What does worry the club is the overall physical level of the team, which has dropped just as the advantage they had over Barcelona in the league disappeared. The dip in form and the loss of that advantage have arrived hand in hand.

Vinicius, for his part, is staying calm. He’s putting in some strong performances with others in which he struggles to finish plays, but he’s convinced that once he regains his physical edge, everything will turn. He has no doubt about it — and no doubt about the club’s support, either. The player and the front office are on the same page.

Such is the confidence the club has in him, and such is his importance to Real Madrid’s present and future, that the club considers his contract renewal — with 18 months left — all but guaranteed. Letting a deal run down is simply not part of Real Madrid’s strategy.

Locking in Vinicius’ future

Both sides — the player and the president — enjoy an excellent relationship and communicate constantly. Those conversations have already included discussions about the future and the possibility of a new contract to secure Vinicius’s long-term stay at the club.

In recent matches, Vinicius has also shown clear progress in his relationship with Xabi Alonso after weeks of tension stemming from the Clásico and the gestures for which he apologized. Since then, the Brazilian has become untouchable for the manager. His effort is never in question, and no one believes more firmly than Xabi Alonso that Vinicius’s scoring rhythm will turn soon.

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