Real Madrid’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti has pointed out that Vinícius Júnior’s unfair treatment on the pitch is harsher than any other player he has coached throughout his career.
Ancelotti stood firm in his defence of the Brazilian winger on Saturday, passionately advocating for him amidst the criticism.
In Wednesday’s Champions League round-of-16 match against RB Leipzig at the Bernabeu, Vinícius scored Madrid’s only goal in a 1-1 draw but was shown a yellow card for shoving Leipzig captain Willi Orbán.
Vinicius faced repeated jeering from the crowd at the Mestalla last weekend during Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Valencia, a painful reminder of the racial abuse he endured from a group of fans during the same match last season.
During a press conference on Saturday, Ancelotti made the statement before Madrid’s La Liga match against Celta Vigo.
Ancelotti said, “I’ve looked back a bit, at history, at statistics, and I’ve never seen a player who’s been persecuted like Vinícius.
“He’s kicked, he’s whistled, he’s insulted. And what does he do? He scores goals and provides assists. And then I’m supposed to talk to him about his attitude? No!
“Everyone should change their attitude regarding Vinícius. In my personal history, a player with great talent has never suffered the things that Vinicius has.”
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