Vinicius Junior laments criticism for his behavior but admits, “I want to improve”

Despite being the MVP in Real Madrid's victory against Barcelona, the Brazilian made headlines for a heated moment with the opponents
by
Martín O'Donnell
2024-01-15 14:54:04

Vinicius Junior had another memorable night with the Real Madrid uniform during the victory against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. With a hat-trick, the Brazilian played a key role in a historic 4-1 triumph over the lifelong rivals. At the same time, he sparked controversy again for confronting the Barça bench, mocking his opponents with a “4-1” gesture in reference to the score.

“It makes me sad. Everyone wants to fight with me because they know that in the press, they will say ‘Vini did this, Vini did that,'” he said in his post-game interview after being named MVP of the final. “I try to stay calm and focus on doing my best. It’s not just about me. Of course, I’m not a saint. Sometimes I talk too much, sometimes I dribble when I shouldn’t. But I’m here to improve and to be a role model for kids. I want to improve.”

READ MORE

++ Liverpool icon downplays Vinicius Junior’s performances in 2023
++ Vinicius Junior, the sacrifice of Mbappé’s arrival at Real Madrid?
++ Vinicius Junior is the winner of the 2023 Samba Gold Award

Vinicius dedicated one of his goals to Cristiano Ronaldo

The Brazilian celebrated his first goal in honor of Cristiano Ronaldo, a player he looks up to and is currently playing for Al-Nassr, who play their home games at the stadium where the Spanish Super Cup took place. “The celebration was for Cris,” Vini said. “He’s my idol, and now he plays here… I’m very happy with what we did today. Beating Barcelona is not easy, and winning 4-1 is difficult. It was an almost perfect match.”

Vinicius now has the privilege of donning the number 7 jersey that the Portuguese used for so many years at the Santiago Bernabéu. With this performance, the former Flamengo player created another unforgettable memory in his time as a Merengue player.