Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has publicly apologised to fans and teammates after his angry reaction to being substituted during Sunday’s 2-1 El Clasico victory over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Brazilian international, who was withdrawn in the 71st minute of the match, appeared visibly frustrated as he left the pitch and headed straight down the tunnel, ignoring manager Xabi Alonso’s attempts to acknowledge him. Cameras caught Vinicius muttering in frustration — reportedly saying, “Always me! I’m leaving the team. It’s better if I leave, I’m leaving.”
His reaction drew criticism from Spanish media and former professionals, many of whom described his behaviour as “disrespectful.” The 25-year-old winger has been substituted before full-time on several occasions this season — a trend that seems to have tested his patience.
Vinicius Junior Offers Apology, But Omits Alonso
Three days after the incident, Vinicius took to social media to issue a heartfelt apology directed at Real Madrid supporters, his teammates, and club president Florentino Pérez — but notably left out any mention of Alonso.
“Today I want to apologise to all Madridistas for my reaction when I was substituted in El Clásico,” Vinicius wrote on Wednesday.
“Just as I have already done in person during training, I also want to apologise again to my teammates, the club, and the president.
Sometimes passion gets the better of me because I always want to win and help my team.
I promise to keep fighting every second for the good of Real Madrid, as I have done since the first day.”
The message received thousands of supportive responses from Madrid fans, many praising his passion but urging him to show greater composure in the future.
Alonso Plays Down Tension
After the game, Alonso downplayed the incident, insisting it would be handled privately.
“I interpret it with normality,” the Madrid boss said. “We don’t have to make too much of it. It’s the tension of the moment, for them and for us. These scuffles have always happened.”
Vinicius Junior later returned to the pitch after full-time and became involved in a brief confrontation with Barcelona players following Pedri’s red card, before being pulled away by teammates.
Despite the controversy, Real Madrid’s victory over their rivals kept them top of La Liga, and Alonso will hope the apology puts the matter to rest before their next league outing.
