Brazilian vows to “give my all” on the pitch to avoid getting booed by supporters
Vinicius Junior has responded to being whistled and booed by the Bernabeu last weekend with an excellent performance against AS Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Playing against Levante at the weekend, Real Madrid’s players were booed on the pitch by their own crowd, following a frustrating start to the year, but Vinicius was singled out for much of it, having been out of form for much of the season and also thought to have been in the middle of the dressing room dissatisfaction that saw Xabi Alonso dismissed last week.
But on Tuesday in front of the fans at the Bernabeu, Vinicius scored, assisted two goals, and forced an own goal as Madrid ran out 6-1 winners over Monaco.
“This performance means a lot, because of everything that has been happening in recent days,” Vinicius said.
“The change of coach, losing the [Spanish Super Cup] final, being knocked out of the Copa del Rey. Playing for the biggest club in the world comes with high demands. Sometimes we don’t understand the boos, but I know the size of the club and the weight of the shirt.”
Vinicius’ poor form is best illustrated by his 19-game goal drought for club and country up until he scored in the final against Barcelona in Jeddah. But it is conduct without the ball that has also frustrated fans. He notoriously protested his substitution by Alonso on the pitch in October’s clásico at the Bernabeu, the most-attended league game for the club in every season.
“The only thing I can do is on the pitch, to give my all,” Vinicius said. “I won’t always be technically perfect, but I will always give 100% for the team.
“I don’t want to be booed at home, where I feel comfortable. But the fans have their rights, and I am here to evolve. I want to stay at Real Madrid for a long time.”
