Real Madrid News
Real Madrid superstar could face sanction due to conflict of interest laws – report
It’s no secret that Vinicius Jr. has an eye for business beyond the pitch. Despite being in the prime years of his playing career, the Real Madrid forward has taken ownership stakes in football clubs through a company linked to his inner circle.
However, the rapid expansion of Vinicius’ footballing portfolio could potentially land him in trouble, as per Gianluca Di Marzio (h/t MARCA).
Vinicius could face up to two year ban
As per the report, a formal complaint has been filed with FIFA’s Ethics Committee, requesting a potential two-year ban for the player.
On April 7, Brazilian firm Tiberis Holding do Brasil took the matter to FIFA, citing a violation of ethics rules that bar active players from owning professional clubs – directly or indirectly – due to risks of conflict of interest.
The issue stems from Vinicius’ involvement through ALL Agenciamento Esportivo, a company managed by his father and agent Thassilo Soares.
The firm has been acquiring stakes in professional clubs, most notably Athletic Club de São João del Rei, a team recently promoted to Brazil’s Serie B.
Tiberis, which owned 16.5% of the club, claims it was denied its right of first refusal when shares were instead sold to ALL.
Despite a São Paulo court halting the sale and launching arbitration, the company tied to Vinicius has reportedly already taken operational control of the club.
This isn’t the only club involved. Vinicius is also linked with Portuguese side Alverca, where player Rafael Conceicao has recently moved on loan from the Brazilian club – another deal raising eyebrows.
Tiberis argues these dealings violate FIFA’s Article 20 and Spain’s Article 22 on sporting ethics, both of which aim to protect competition integrity. Penalties could range from a fine to a forced sale of the clubs or even suspension.
For now, though, FIFA is reviewing the case and more updates will only be released as and when the organisation comes to a conclusion.
Real Madrid’s season, under the returning Jose Mourinho, has not started as expected at the club.
In terms of results, eight matches have produced six wins one draw and two defeats in all competitions. Both losses have come in La Liga (five wins), leading to the Merengues occupying the fourth place in the table.
Meanwhile, arch-rivals Barcelona have maintained a perfect winning record riding on their relentless goalscoring form, opening up a six-point lead at the table.
Mourinho is using the international break to analyse what has gone wrong and what can be improved. And, several metrics and statistics show that Real Madrid has significant room for improvement.
As highlighted a few days ago, Real Madrid are the team that covers the fewest kilometres per match in La Liga on average, at 96.5, almost ten fewer than Barcelona’s 104.5. Los Blancos are also second-bottom for high-intensity runs per match, with 394.
Possession and defensive numbers
There are further figures suggesting that Real Madrid could be doing more in terms of off-the-ball efforts and defensively.
Real Madrid also happen to be the team that commits the fewest fouls, with 59, fewer than half Espanyol’s 120, yet it is also the team that has been fouled the most in La Liga, with 97.
In terms of recoveries, the Spanish capital giants rank 16th with 302, 38 fewer than Barcelona, while they are also near the bottom for interceptions, ranking 17th.
One argument could be that these figures indicate that Real Madrid are dominating games more often than they are dominated, leaving fewer opportunities to be aggressive without the ball.
However, the numbers do not particularly support that theory either. Real Madrid average 52.3% possession, only slightly more than half.
That is a long way behind Barcelona’s 68.7% and also below Villarreal at 61.4%. Even Atlético Madrid (59.1%) and Real Betis (53.6%) outdo the Merengues.
That possession also allows Barcelona to protect themselves more effectively. The Catalans have conceded just 51 shots, including 22 on target, while Real Madrid have faced 89 shots, with 31 on target.
Finishing not up to the mark either
Real Madrid can improve defensively, but the attacking numbers also reveal significant room for growth.
The biggest issue is finishing. The Merengues have scored 18 goals, 13 fewer than Barcelona’s 31.
That is despite the two teams having taken a similar number of shots: Barça have attempted 150, compared with 131 for Los Blancos. The difference is even smaller when looking at shots on target, with 58 for Barcelona and 53 for Madrid.
Barcelona’s players score once every 1.8 shots on target, while Real Madrid stars needs almost three.
The contrast is particularly clear when comparing the leading scorers for both teams, Raphinha and Kylian Mbappe.
The Brazilian has scored 12 goals from just 25 total shots and 16 shots on target. Real Madrid’s No. 10, meanwhile, has scored seven goals from 41 attempts and 22 shots on target.
The numbers clearly show that Real Madrid have a lot of work to do, both in defence and in attack, if they are to close the gap to the top.
Source: AS
