Real Madrid News
Watch: Vinicius’ reaction towards Schalke fans after being booed in Real Madrid win
Vinicius Jr. found himself at the centre of attention during Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Schalke 04, although it was not his performance that generated the biggest reaction.
The Brazilian forward was repeatedly booed by sections of the Schalke support, despite having no previous history with the German club and never having played at the stadium before.
Every time Vinicius touched the ball, whistles followed. The same happened when Jose Mourinho eventually substituted him during the second half, bringing another hostile reaction from the stands.
Rather than allowing the atmosphere to affect him, however, the Real Madrid star appeared to enjoy the exchange with the home supporters.
Vinicius booed throughout Real Madrid’s win
Vinicius received a hostile reception from the Schalke crowd from the moment he became involved in the game.
Vini will never change pic.twitter.com/CAdf6bM8zg
— Arda Güler (fan) (@iHQGuler) August 16, 2026
The reason behind the reaction was not immediately clear, especially considering the Brazilian had no previous connection with Schalke and had never previously faced the German side at their home ground.
Still, that did not stop sections of the support from booing him every time he was on the ball.
Vinicius responded in his own way. The forward exchanged glances with supporters, smiled in their direction and even blew a kiss towards the stand responsible for the whistles.
The reaction continued until his substitution in the second half, when the home crowd once again made their feelings known.
Deportivo fans had already given Vinicius similar treatment
Notably, the Schalke reception was not the first time Vinicius had been booed during Real Madrid’s preparations for the new season.
During the Teresa Herrera Trophy match against Deportivo La Coruña, the Brazilian was also targeted by sections of the home support, with whistles greeting several of his touches at Riazor.
The reaction did not prevent him from continuing his role as one of the main attacking figures in Mourinho’s Real Madrid side.
On top of that, Endrick and Alvaro Carreras were also subjected to whistles during that match, although their situations were connected to incidents involving Deportivo players during the game.
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
