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Vinicius Jr annoyed at substitute vs Barcelona: what it might mean for Real Madrid

Ancelotti substituted him in the final against Barcelona, something which has put the Brazilian star’s entourage on alert.

Ancelotti substituted him in the final against Barcelona, something which has put the Brazilian star’s entourage on alert.
Pedro NunesREUTERS

Even the fourth official seemed surprised, initially displaying 5 instead of 7 on the electronic board. In the 76th minute of the Spanish Super Cup final, Carlo Ancelotti made an unexpected decision: with Madrid losing, the Italian coach substituted Vinícius Jr.

The change raised many eyebrows both within the club and in the Brazilian star’s entourage, who were alarmed by such a high-profile substitution.

The feeling is that replacing Vinícius—a freshly crowned “The Best” winner and Ballon d’Or runner-up—while the team was losing and still had time to fight back, placed undue blame on him on an already painful night.

Vini Jr struggling to find form

The substitution was particularly surprising because Vinícius has only been taken off the field in eight other games this season. In all those matches, Madrid was winning, except for the 1-1 draws against Mallorca and Las Palmas. Moreover, most of those changes occurred after the 85th minute. The only exception was during a 4-0 win over Osasuna, when he was substituted in the 75th minute—having already scored a hat-trick.

Adding to the discomfort is Vinícius’s current form. The Brazilian hasn’t scored since December 10 in Bergamo, looked subdued against Barça in Jeddah, and appears to be struggling while Kylian Mbappé thrives. When Mbappé faced Barcelona, he was a whirlwind, while Real Madrid’s No. 7 struggled to make an impact. Vinícius managed just one successful dribble, compared to Mbappé’s eight—an alarming disparity for a player of his caliber in a team that also struggles against the best.

The decision to substitute him during such a crucial Clásico introduces tension between Vinícius and the club. The Brazilian star may feel that he’s no longer untouchable during tough times, while the club remains concerned about Saudi Arabia’s persistent interest in him. This week, the CEO of the Saudi Super League hinted at the possibility of a move, telling AS: “Let’s see what happens with Vinícius…”

Vini Jr watches on as Barcelona lift the Spanish Super Cup.
Full screen
Vini Jr watches on as Barcelona lift the Spanish Super Cup.JAVIER GANDULDiarioAS

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