"He respects his rivals and the referees a lot" - Ancelotti rubbishes claims that Real Madrid star needs to change his attitude
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti defended Vinicius Jr. amid claims that the attacker needs to change his attitude. The Italian stated that the Brazilian winger respects his opponents and referees and has a good attitude.
However, Ancelotti acknowledged that while players can sometimes get a bit too aggressive, they need to keep their emotions in check at times.
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Here's what he told reporters after his side's come-from-behind 4-1 home win against Mallorca in La Liga on Sunday, September 11.
"The referee, first of all, has to be respected, even if he fails. It is absolutely normal for rivals to cover a little more and be a little more aggressive with him. Vinicius has nothing to change about his attitude, It seems to me that he respects his rivals and the referees a lot". (h/t MARCA)
Vedat Muriqi scored for the visitors in the 35th minute.
Vinicius Jr. then gave Los Blancos the lead in the 72nd minute of the game after Federico Valverde had equalised.
Rodrygo tore apart Mallorca's defense with a mesmerizing run before playing the ball to his compatriot. Vinicius Jr.'s first touch allowed him to drift away from the defenders as he found the bottom corner with a calm finish.
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Ancelotti further recognized that due to the Brazilian's playing style, opponents often get angry with him. He said:
"He is a special player. Because of how he plays, it can sometimes happen that the rival gets angry. You have to understand that he always tries to dribble, whether his team wins or loses. Sometimes he tries to make the rival angry a little more than normal, but these are things that happen in football. With experience he will learn little by little."
Vinicius has started this campaign brilliantly and is currently Real Madrid's top goalscorer this season with five goals in seven matches in all competitions.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti opines on Marco Asensio's anger
Marco Asensio was left frustrated after not being subbed on during Real Madrid's 4-1 win against Mallorca. The attacker acted out of frustration as he threw away his training bib and kicked out while getting back to the bench.
Ancelotti shared his take on the situation as he stated that it shows the player wants to be an important part of the team:
"Yes he's angry, I agree with him. It's normal, it means he wants to play, to feel important. In this period he has been the most affected player in the squad and I take that into account. I totally agree with his anger, nothing happens."
Real Madrid sit at the top of the La Liga table, being the only team in Europe's top five leagues with a 100 percent record so far. They will next face RB Leipzig at home on Wednesday, September 14 in the UEFA Champions League.