Real Madrid News
Brazil fear Vinicius Jr could be targetted by oppositions at the World Cup
While Brazil may have begun their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign on a winning note, it came at the cost of an injury to superstar Neymar.
Indeed, the PSG attacker was at the receiving end up some very rough challenges from the Serbian national team on Thursday night and ultimately had to come off late on with an ankle issue.
Brazil doctor Rodrigo Lesmar has now confirmed that Neymar has injured his right ankle. And the Brazilian forward’s involvement for the remainder of the group stages of the World Cup is a major doubt.
And following the incident, MARCA reports that the Brazil camp feel Neymar was targetted by the Serbian national team during the game as the ex-Barcelona ace was on the receiving end of the most fouls on the night.
The report further adds that in the camp they are now worried that Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr could be the next player to be targetted by opponents in a similar way to Neymar.
Vinicius has been in red-hot form this season for Real Madrid and managed to carry that to the international stage as he played a key role in Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Serbia.
Over the course of the season, though, the 22-year-old has been at the receiving end of some harsh treatment from oppositions while playing for Real Madrid. And Brazil now fear that the trend might continue at the World Cup.
The Selecao, who are widely tipped as one of the favourites to win the tournament, play Switzerland up next in the group before facing Cameroon.
With Neymar potentially ruled out of both those matches, Vinicius’ Real Madrid teammate, Rodrygo Goes, is understood to be in line to replace the seasoned superstar in the starting XI.
Before he was hired by Bayern Munich as the direct replacement for Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel was closely linked with a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
The German tactician had kept a close eye on the development at Santiago Bernabeu, especially with coach Carlo Ancelotti facing immense pressure following the club’s poor performances in domestic competitions.
A recent report from Jorge Picon has offered more details on the Tuchel saga, suggesting that the coach was even learning Spanish during his time at Ibiza, anticipating a potential move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
There were even contacts made between Tuchel’s entourage and Real Madrid. Although the talks were positive, the two sides were not able to reach an agreement.
Real Madrid did not guarantee him the job. They had informed Tuchel that Ancelotti may continue at the Bernabeu in the event the club win the UEFA Champions League this season.
This bit of uncertainty played a critical role in convincing Tuchel to join Bayern Munich instead. The former Chelsea boss was hired as a direct replacement for Nagelsmann, who was sacked after a poor season in the Bundesliga by the club’s high standards.
However, Tuchel’s move to Bayern appears to be a missed opportunity on the German’s part, as Real Madrid have recently intensified their search for a new manager.
It is clear that the club’s hierarchy is yet to reach a consensus over the future of Ancelotti, with some believing that a change is necessary come the end of the season. In fact, the club’s president Florentino Perez has been an admirer of Tuchel’s compatriot Nagelsmann.
The coaching prodigy is one of the candidates to replace Ancelotti in the summer, though it is Mauricio Pochettion who is reportedly leading the race so far.
