Vini Jr. enjoys warm reception in Morocco after attacks in Spain

After weeks of being knocked down by opponents and suffering racist attacks from rival fans in Spain, striker Vinícius Jr enjoyed a warm welcome in Morocco as he guided Real Madrid to a 4-1 win over Egyptian club Al Ahly on Wednesday (8). ), qualifying the team for the final of the Club World Cup. Vinícius was the main attraction for the Moroccan crowd, which created a noisy atmosphere in the crowded Príncipe Moulay Abdallah stadium, in Rabat. 🌟 MVP 🌟👉 @ViniJr#ClubWC pic.twitter.com/DlM3O9L3Cw — Real Madrid CF (@realmadrid) February 8, 2023 Real could even think they were playing at home, given the raucous support from the vast majority of the crowd, which went up the volume and displayed a giant banner in support of the Spanish giants. Vinícius created the most danger every time he touched the ball, and the stadium exploded when he opened the scoring for Real Madrid before the break. The Brazilian also conceded a penalty, made 13 dribbling attempts, was voted man of the match and suffered just two fouls. It all seemed a contrast to Real Madrid’s matches away from the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Spain, when Vinícius is often targeted by opposing players on the pitch and subject to hostility and racist abuse from some fans off it. Having been fouled 79 so far this La Liga season, Vinícius is the most fouled player in Europe’s top seven leagues by a wide margin, followed by his compatriot Neymar at Paris Saint Germain with 59. is investigating a possible hate crime after a mannequin wearing Vinícius’ number 20 shirt was hung from a bridge in front of the club’s training ground ahead of the Madrid derby two weeks ago, while in September a commentator for a Spanish football program compared his goal celebrations to a monkey. A long walk back to the bench could have been a troublesome experience for him in many stadiums across Spain, but he enjoyed himself on Wednesday, flashing a big smile and waving back to the fans. “Vinicius likes to play football, no matter where he plays, he likes it and wants to play in the best way possible,” coach Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference on Wednesday, when asked if Vinícius felt more comfortable playing away from Spain. * Reproduction of this content is prohibited.


Agência Brasil