Real Madrid News
Vinicius Jr fires shots at La Liga after being racially abused during Valladolid vs Real Madrid
Following the end of the mid-season hiatus, Real Madrid restarted their La Liga campaign on Friday, as they beat Real Valladolid 2-0.
While it was a positive result for the reigning Spanish champions, one of the star players in Vinicius Jr was once again a subject of racist comments from Valladolid fans.
The forward, who has been the victim of racism in the past, was seen receiving slurs from the home fans while walking off the pitch following his substitution.
In the aftermath of the incident, Vinicius Junior has taken to social media to voice his displeasure and frustration at the racial slurs being hurled at him. He has also criticised La Liga authority for not taking measures to curb racism in the stadium.
”Racists keep going to stadiums to watch the biggest club in the world up close and La Liga keep doing nothing. I will continue to hold my head high & celebrate my & Madrid’s victories. In the end, it is my fault,” Vinicius wrote in an Instagram story.
La Liga have come into the limelight multiple times in the past for rampant racism seen in stadiums. Vinicius himself has been a victim in the past, and has criticised the authorities time and time again.
Vinicius’ compatriot Rodrygo had notably come out earlier in the season, suggesting that the authorities “do not do anything” after five Brazilian players were subject to racism during an international friendly.
La Liga authority had notably denounced 24 chants shortly after Atletico Madrid’s game against Real Madrid – a match that stirred a lot of controversy on and off the pitch.
Despite his battles against racism, Vinicius, for his part, will look to focus on the season ahead. With ten goals and five assists in all competitions, the Brazilian has been one of the top performers for Real Madrid this season and will play a key role for Los Blancos during the second half of the campaign.
Real Madrid are blessed to have the services and loyalty of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. The duo have run the show in the Merengues’ midfield for close to a decade and continue to deliver flawless performances to date.
Of the two, however, it is the Croatian who deserves the higher credit. The veteran is now 37 years of age, yet dominates the middle of the park with grace and poise like none other.
Stephen Estuaqio, an FC Porto player and Canada International, spoke earlier this week about why he considered Luka Modric to be a special player and compared him with Kevin de Bruyne to support his stance.
“I played against De Bruyne, but I ran behind Modrić. I couldn’t play against him. It’s crazy how he dictates the game and controls everything. It was a lesson for me,” he said on The 90th minute on Youtube.
With his contract running out next season, Real Madrid are looking to renew his deal by one year come June. Yet, it is difficult to see him continue beyond next season and his imminent departure will mark the end of an era at the club.
Thus, Modric could be an altered role come next season. With a young midfielder, possibly Jude Bellingham set to arrive, the veteran could move into a mentorship role with the occasional appearance in big games.
This season, however, Carlo Ancelotti will continue to use him as one of the backbones of the side and deploy the maestro in the must-win fixtures coming up later this month.
At 37 years of age, Modric has started 16 La Liga games over 24 appearances this season in the competition. He has scored four goals and provided three assists in that process in addition to creating eight big chances with an average of 1.8 key passes per game.
