Vinicius can turn doubters into believers by following Real Madrid teammate’s redemption path | OneFootball

Over the past few weeks, the spotlight at Real Madrid has fallen heavily on Vinicius Jr, with the Brazilian winger becoming the target of boos from the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

What initially felt like an isolated reaction soon turned into a recurring theme, following him from the Champions League clash against Manchester City all the way through to Madrid’s final La Liga fixture of 2025 against Sevilla.

While the reaction towards Vinicius has dominated headlines, history shows that this is far from a new phenomenon at the Bernabeu. 

The stadium has never hidden its emotions, even towards its biggest icons. 

Cristiano Ronaldo experienced similar moments of discontent during his time in white, and more recently, Aurelien Tchouameni has also found himself under intense scrutiny.

Tchouameni’s redemption

Tchouameni’s journey, in particular, is a telling example of how quickly opinion can shift in Madrid. 

After a difficult Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona earlier this year, doubts began to surface about his long-term future. 

At one point, rumours even suggested a possible exit at the end of last season. The criticism was loud, and patience among sections of the fanbase appeared thin.

Aurelien Tchouameni has completed his redemption. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

However, the arrival of Xabi Alonso proved to be a turning point. Under him, Tchouameni’s mental strength came to the fore. 

From a tactical perspective, his numbers underline why the club continue to trust him. 

Tchouameni wins an impressive 96% of his duels, completes 95% of his forward passes, and boasts a remarkable 98% accuracy rate in that area. 

His main limitation remains his progressive running, an area where his success rate drops to around 20%, highlighting a clear contrast with more dynamic midfield profiles.

Perhaps his finest display came in last October’s Clasico. 

In that match, Tchouameni expertly managed the defensive line at the edge of the box, read danger early, intercepted key passes, and offered vital support to the defenders.

A similar performance against Sevilla followed, which has now turned his doubters into believers.