Vinicius Junior has been a polarising figure for much of his time in Spain. The Brazilian has been a fantastic player for Real Madrid since moving from Flamengo in 2018, but opposition fans and players have been less than impressed with some of his antics.
Vinicius will be part of the Real Madrid squad that take on Mallorca on Sunday, as Los Blancos aim to close the gap to Barcelona down to two points, with the league leaders not playing until later in the day.
The 22-year-old has been berated by two Mallorca players in recent weeks in the press, with fullback Pablo Maffeo accusing Vinicius of making “too many gestures”. His teammate Antonio Raillo joined in with the criticism of the winger, where he questioned his professionalism.
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti was asked about the comments in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s fixture, and the Italian was quick to dismiss claims that Vinicius isn’t a role model.
“Vini is a great footballer. My grandchildren are all for Vinícius. Young people like this type of player, as they are of such quality. I have four grandchildren and they have all Vini shirts, and they don’t want another one.”
Vinicius has been keen to let his football do the talking this season, and he has picked up form in recent weeks. The Brazilian scored in Real Madrid’s victory over Valencia on Thursday, and he will hope to do the same on Sunday.
Image via Getty
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