Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has praised Vinicius Junior, amid talk of frustration on the Brazilian’s part in recent weeks. While he was at one time the last player to come off, Vinicius has increasingy in recent weeks become one of the first off under Alonso.
Ahead of their Champions League clash with Olympique Marseille, not a single question on the French giants was asked. Alonso was quizzed about the pressure of playing for the most successful club in Europe in Real Madrid.
“Well, it’s a fact. Something unquestionable. It’s an honour, a motivation, and a responsibility you live with. That you enjoy. When you come and put on the jersey or are here training, it’s a privilege,” he told Diario AS.
Xabi Alonso on discussions with Vinicius Junior
The game at Anoeta was turned on its head when Real Madrid saw Dean Huijsen sent off. The controversy surrounding the referees took up much of his press conference, but it was Vinicius who was sacrificed second to accommodate the sending off, being replaced by Fran Garcia in the 68th minute. Vinicius looked visibly unhappy on the bench afterwards.
“We’ve talked, but like I talk to many players after games, I like to talk about how they feel. The context of the match… after a great job he did, but with a man down from the 30th minute, it wasn’t a great moment for a striker, for someone in attack. But he had to sacrifice, and he did well. He worked for the team; it was a victory in which everyone contributed. And Vini… He looked good to me, he’s full of energy to start tomorrow.”
‘Kylian Mbappe is a leader for this Real Madrid’ – Alonso
Mbappe continues to perform best for Real Madrid, after an almost absent Club World Cup, but Alonso noted that he was optimistic he would be back to his best shortly after.
“I was optimistic. I was looking forward to it, after the Club World Cup, where everything was a bit light regarding Kylian, because he arrived and had that acute gastroenteritis. But I was optimistic about being able to connect with him, getting to know each other little by little, and in the end, you see the player he is. The curiosity he has for the game; because he loves football so much, understanding things, and when he does it, when he feels them, all that individual quality flourishes.”
“We need him, just as we need all the collective quality of the group so that he can then do what he does differently, the things he does. But it’s not just Kylian, Vini, Rodrygo… We need the whole team to function. We need that collective quality with and without the ball. So that they can then do those different things that come out of them… and in which I have no merit.”
Alonso praised Dani Carvajal for his leadership, personality and weight in the dressing room, as well as his competitive streak. The Basque manager also pointed to Mbape as a leader of his side.
“Without a doubt. Because of his personality, his experience, his influence on the rest… he’s one of them. When that group is strong, it consolidates, and the rest already know where to look. Who to follow. And Kylian, without a doubt, is one of them.”
Real Madrid face Marseille at 21:00 CEST on Tuesday, hoping to make it five wins out of five under Alonso since the Club World Cup.
