Vini Jr. apologises after Real-Barça row, omits Xabi Alonso | OneFootball

On the morning of this Wednesday, forward Vinícius Júnior spoke out about his controversial substitution in the derby against Barcelona last Sunday, in the Spanish Championship. The Brazilian striker, who left the field irritated with coach Xabi Alonso, apologized to the fans, but did not mention the coach in his statement.

On his X profile (formerly Twitter), Vini Jr. stated that he had already apologized during training, but decided to make a public apology. The Brazilian forward justified his controversial reaction as an emotional act, “for always wanting to win.” Despite the apology, the former Flamengo player made it clear that the apology was directed to his “teammates, the club, and the president”, without mentioning coach Xabi Alonso.

After the match, both parties involved in the controversy downplayed the incident. While Xabi Alonso said he would talk with Vinícius Júnior, the Brazilian pointed to the intensity of the derby as the reason for his reaction.

Despite the disagreements, Real Madrid is having a great start to the season and leads the Spanish Championship with 27 points—five more than Barcelona, who are in second place. In addition to the national tournament, the team has a 100% record in the Champions League, with three wins, occupying fifth place in the first phase.

Read Vini Jr.'s full apology:

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.