Vinicius Jr. made headlines again after being substituted by Xabi Alonso in Tuesday’s Champions League game against Kairat, but this time his anger wasn’t directed at the Real Madrid coach. The problem came from what happened on the field.
Signs of tension before Vini substitution
Once more, the Brazilian forward left the pitch gesturing and visibly upset after being taken off by Alonso. But unlike previous incidents, his frustration didn’t stem from the decision to sub him out. Instead, it was triggered by a play involving 17-year-old Argentine prospect Franco Mastantuono.
As he walked toward the bench, Vinicius pointed toward the field while speaking with Alonso, trying to explain his anger. The outburst had been building for several minutes and finally boiled over just before he was substituted, following Mastantuono’s decision to take a shot instead of passing.
First spark comes after Güler decision
The tension began earlier in the second half when Arda Güler ignored a wide-open Vinicius on the wing and instead tried to thread a ball through to Kylian Mbappé. The pass was eventually stopped by the Kairat Almaty goalkeeper. Vinicius reacted with animated arm gestures, clearly unhappy at not receiving the ball in a better position. That moment lit the fuse.
Mastantuono shot pushes Vini over the edge
The breaking point came a few minutes later. Mbappé slipped a clever pass to Mastantuono on the right side of the box. Instead of squaring the ball to Vinicius, who was wide open in front of goal, the teenager went for the shot himself. The keeper blocked it, and Vinicius exploded in frustration, berating Mastantuono for not making the obvious pass.
Xabi Alonso defends Vinicius
Shortly afterward, Alonso decided to make the change, leading to the visible scene everyone noticed. In his postgame press conference, however, the Real Madrid coach defended his star:
“It wasn’t about being angry. On another day, maybe yes, but not today. It’s always on the coach. This wasn’t a complaint from Vini, just a comment we understood,” Alonso explained.
It’s been a turbulent start to the season for Vinicius, whose emotions continue to draw as much attention as his talent on the field.
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