Despite his behavior, coach Xabi Alonso defended the Brazilian, stating that he ‘contributed a lot’
The year 2026 began in the same way as 2025 ended: with boos from the club’s fans at the Santiago Bernabéu. The bad form of the Brazilian, who has not scored in 15 games with the team’s shirt, distances him from the fans, who repeated in this Sunday’s 5-1 rout over Betis the demonstration in the victory over Sevilla on December 20th. Despite the crowd’s behavior, the coach defended him and did not comment on the boos. “Vini contributed a lot, he was very incisive in the first half, he got a card and they had to remove the full-back,” said the Real coach.
“I liked Vini’s performance and now he will be crucial in the Super Cup”, he added, referring to the team’s next commitment, which will face Atlético de Madrid on Thursday in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup, in Saudi Arabia. Vini Jr. started the clash with Betis well and made rival defender Álvaro Ortiz receive a yellow card after a foul on him. Hanging, Ortiz was replaced at halftime.
During the first half, the Brazilian was applauded most of the time, as he created scoring opportunities. He was knocked down inside the Betis area, but the referee did not score anything. The intensity dropped in the second half, and the Brazilian received a yellow card and was substituted in the 32nd minute. The fans’ dissatisfaction ended up being drowned out by the applause directed towards compatriot Rodrygo, who left the field at the same time after a good performance and two assists.
Vini’s reaction to leaving the game was one of resignation. After a firm handshake with Xabi, he walked to the bench and was the first to head to the tunnel when the referee whistled the end of the match. The Spanish press is already beginning to analyze that the Brazilian’s current situation could affect negotiations for contract renewal, which should be resumed soon. The current agreement still has 18 months to run.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
