Generally, when Carlo Ancelotti says something, we listen to him. The Italian has a reputation for knowing a little football. Suddenly, when the coach of the four Champions Leagues praises a player, we take him at face value: “Today, in my opinion, Vinicius is the most decisive player in world football for his regularity and his reliability, hammers the Real Madrid coach. He never stops. He hits, he gives balls, he scores. I hope he can continue like this. »
If one doubts his impartiality, another expert delivers the same compliment. “I confirm: Vinicius is one of the best players in the world, a world-class player, and already a Real Madrid legend, despite his young age.” This expert is called Jürgen Klopp and he trains Liverpool, this team to which the Brazilian has caused so much misery. So Vinicius Jr, one of the best players on the planet? The equal at the start of the year of a Kylian Mbappé, really? Maybe.
This February 21, at Anfield, the Brazilian in any case scored the first two goals for Realmontada de Madrid in the knockout stages of the Champions League. When he came out of the box, the European champions trailed 2-0 before winning 5-2 at the end of an evening that will not soon be forgotten. A few hours after this game for history, the international Auriverde appeared on the front page of all the Spanish press.
“As” the great Iberian daily writes: “Anfield lost to Vinicius, the best player of a historic evening: he scored two goals, caused the third and offered an assist to Karim Benzema. It was the best European night of his life. Even better than in Paris when last year, precisely against Liverpool (1-0), where he scored the goal that allowed Real to win their 14th Champions League.
What revenge for Vinicius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior, the real name of this 22-year-old young man born at the same time as the century. Small rewind: in October 2020, at half-time of a match against Mönchengladbach, Karim Benzema at the exit of the locker room speaks to Ferland Mendy. The images and sound are captured by Spanish TV: “He does anything, let go of the future Ballon d’Or. Brother, don’t play with him, my mother’s life. He plays against us. “The player in question is not mentioned but for our Spanish colleagues the culprit is undoubtedly called Vinicius Jr. The two men explained themselves the next day and the story did not go any further. The Frenchman and the Brazilian have even since become good friends, two essential relays for the extraordinary success of the white house since this episode.
He started as a defender
Vinicius was born in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Raised by his grandmother and naturalized Spanish in 2022, he touched his first balls at Flamengo as a defender. He took his first steps in the pros at only 17 years old. Very quickly, a club in Europe spots this little man of 1m76. Not just any; Real Madrid, which took him across the Atlantic in 2018. Barca and PSG bowed to the €45m proposal then proposed by Real. Vinicius disembarks on his 18th birthday as Zinedine Zidane has just jumped ship. The beginnings are complicated: nobody believes in this Brazilian who is slow to adapt.
He arms himself with patience, fights against the doubts of his partners and above all the hatred that surrounds him. We no longer count the acts of ordinary racism of which he is the victim often, far too often. How many times has he been called a “monkey” by imbeciles hiding in the stands? In mid-February, during a minute of silence against Osasuna, an insult fell from the stands, anonymously: “Vinicius de fils de…”!
“It’s pitiful, gets carried away goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. People were chanting “Vinicius, fuck you” it’s unfortunate. You have to look at what these people are doing, not Vinicius. We see children with their parents doing middle fingers. It’s unfortunate. “” Everyone tries to attack Vinicius who likes to play football, plague on his side Ancelotti. Opposing players with kicks, rival supporters, sometimes the referee. It is a general and cultural problem of a society which, in my opinion, does not have the education it should have. »
Why so much hate: OK, Vinicius loves spectacular goal celebrations which annoy some, his arabesques annoy his opponents who no longer know how to stop him. This is also why he is loved now and why the greatest compare him to the best. In 2002, he won the Champions League, the Spanish championship, the Club World Cup and played his first World Cup with the Selecao. This season, the Brazilian president of an NGO which aims to reduce inequalities in education in Brazil has already scored 18 goals in all competitions. We haven’t finished hearing about him.