Ancelotti replaced him in the final against Barcelona, something that has put the Brazilian star's entourage on alert.
Even the fourth official seemed surprised; initially there was 5 instead of 7 on the electronic board. In the 76th minute of the Spanish Super Cup final, Carlo Ancelotti made an unexpected decision: when Madrid lost, the Italian coach replaced Vinícius Jr.
The change raised many eyebrows, both within the club and the Brazilian star's entourage, who were alarmed by such a high-profile change.
The feeling is that replacing Vinícius – a brand new winner of 'The Best' and runner-up of the Ballon d'Or – while the team was losing and still had time to fight back, placed unnecessary blame on him in an already already painful evening.
Vini Jr is struggling to find form
The change was especially surprising because Vinícius was only taken off the field in eight other games this season. Madrid won in all those matches, except for the 1-1 draw against Mallorca and Las Palmas. Moreover, most of those changes happened after the 85th minute. The only exception was during a 4–0 win over Osasuna, when he was substituted in the 75th minute, having already scored a hat-trick.
Adding to the discomfort is Vinícius' current form. The Brazilian has not scored since December 10 in Bergamo, looked subdued against Barca in Jeddah and appears to be struggling as Kylian Mbappe thrives. When Mbappe faced Barcelona he was a whirlwind, while Real Madrid's number 7 struggled to make an impact. Vinícius made just one successful dribble, compared to Mbappé's eight: an alarming difference for a player of his caliber in a team also competing against the best.
The decision to replace him during such a crucial Clásico is causing tension between Vinícius and the club. The Brazilian star may feel he is no longer untouchable in tough times as the club remains concerned about Saudi Arabia's continued interest in him. This week, the Saudi Super League CEO hinted at the possibility of a move, telling AS: “Let's see what happens with Vinicius….”
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