Former Liverpool player backs Vinicius Jr despite struggle for form: ‘He still has a lot to offer’ | OneFootball

Several Brazilian legends have played for Real Madrid over the years, while others have arrived with great promise and eventually fizzled out.

One of the players who arrived at the club with great expectation and eventually left, only to become a sensation outside the club was Fabinho.

The Brazilian defensive midfielder joined Real Madrid Castilla on a season-long loan in 2012 and even made his debut for the senior team in 2013 and earned an assist on the same night.

Eventually, however, he joined Monaco and went on to carve a reputation for himself both at the French club and later at Liverpool.

Fabinho speaks on his Real Madrid stint

Speaking to MARCA in a recent interview, the former Liverpool star spoke on his time at Real Madrid at the age of 18, on which he fondly said,

“That was my first season in professional football. I played with Real Madrid Castilla in the second division, and it was amazing for me.”

“Even though I wasn’t playing with the first team, being at Real Madrid, at the training ground, and sometimes training with the first team, and playing my first match—it was something truly special,” he added.

He was then asked if he remembered how he was informed of Real Madrid’s offer at the time and how he felt knowing of the club’s interest in him.

“I remember a little from that time. When I moved to Real Madrid, things happened very quickly. I was training with Rio Ave in 2012. I received a call from my agent, Jorge Mendes, and he said: ‘Let’s go to Madrid’,” he began.

“We drove from Portugal to Madrid, and when I arrived, everything was magical. Seeing the players, whom I never imagined I’d be playing with so quickly, was magical,” he added.

On how the surprises kept coming at the time and caught him completely off guard, he shared a hilarious anecdote.

“After the car journey, I went straight to the hotel to sleep, and in the morning, Mendes and José Mourinho woke me up.”

“They knocked on the door, and I was wearing only my underwear. It was a surprise to receive that visit so quickly (laughs), but it was special,” he added.

On Vinicius Jr.

Fabinho admitted that Vinicius deserved the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

He then spoke about Vinicius Jr.’s situation at Real Madrid and what he made of the Brazilian winger’s talent.

“He’s delivering a fantastic performance with Real Madrid. He’s already won the UEFA Champions League twice, and he’s one of the best players on Xabi Alonso’s team.”

“One or two seasons ago, he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or,” he added.

He then insisted neither the player nor the club should consider parting ways at this point in time.

“I don’t know if Real Madrid wants to lose a player with this kind of talent. I wish him all the best wherever he goes. He still has a lot to offer Real Madrid.”

On Real Madrid’s aura

The Al-Ittihad player was then asked if the pressure of playing for a club as big as Real Madrid indeed gets to a player, to which he said,

“Absolutely, of course it does. Living the experience from the inside, with this organizational structure, is simply unbelievable.”

“I left the club when I was nineteen years old, and I didn’t know if I’d find all this in other clubs. You have everything you could wish for, and all you have to do is focus on playing football,” he added on the reality of football.

The player was then asked if he knew of Real Madrid ever contacting him for a return after he left early in his career, to which he said,

“Not to my knowledge. At least my agent hasn’t mentioned anything to me about Real Madrid (laughs).”

“It’s true that Casemiro once told me they were looking for options, and my name came up. I was still playing as a right-back at the time. But in the end, nothing concrete happened—no offer or anything,” he added.

A photo of Fabinho with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez went viral after one of the meetings between Real Madrid and Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, and the player was asked what that meant to him.

“It’s a special photo, with one of Real Madrid’s greatest legends, Florentino Pérez. I know my history with Real Madrid isn’t long. I only played one match with the first team. That’s why you never know how people will receive you.”

“But when the president came over, hugged me, and we talked about Vinícius, I felt happy because I’d returned to a place where I was welcomed warmly,” he added.