There are no shortage of advantages and perks of playing for Real Madrid, but there are also downsides. While at other iconic stadiums superstars can count on almost unyielding support from the fans, at the Santiago Bernabeu the relationship with the players is different.
At no club are the expectations higher, and Madridistas feel very much entitled to express their frustration with their own players as much as the opposition, if things are not going their way. Star summer signing Kylian Mbappe was made very much aware of this last week, after he left the pitch with an injury and was whistled off, before being whistled again when he was shown on the big screens on Sunday night, despite being in the stands.
Another player feeling the frustration of the Bernabeu crowd is Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian winger had become one of Real Madrid’s most beloved sons after leading Los Blancos to two Champions Leagues in three years, but things have soured over the last year. In particular, Marca say that Vinicius has felt a distance between himself and the crowd over the last week.
They claim that Vinicius, who was also whistled during Real Madrid’s elimination at the hands of Arsenal, was simultaneously fed up with the supporters and felt indebted to them. Disappointed with his performance against the Gunners, Vinicius was the most relentless and insistent of Real Madrid’s players against Athletic Club on Sunday, wanting to make it up to the fans. At the same time, whistled in both games, he is upset and hurt with their response.
Certainly Real Madrid have a reputation for a fickle support, and few of their heroes are exempt from being whistled at some point in their time at the Bernabeu. Perhaps best exemplified by Cristiano Ronaldo, who despite being the greatest player to feature for them in modern history, also received his share of frustration from the stands.
