Valdano Takes Aim at Vinícius: Madrid’s Priorities Come First
20 October 2025
Context and Reactions
Jorge Valdano, the Real Madrid legend and former coach, directed a pointed critique at Vinícius Júnior after his performance in the Madrid side's 1-0 win over Getafe, a match that kept the spotlight on the Brazilian winger.
Valdano's remarks followed a night in which Vinícius and Getafe's Juan Iglesias traded words and ran into each other multiple times from the moment the winger entered the pitch in the 55th minute.
Movistar cameras captured a moment when Iglesias moved toward Vinícius and said, "That's why everyone hates you. Learn from your teammates," before Kylian Mbappé stepped in to cool things down.
Iglesias had been assigned to shadow Vinícius directly, and he pressed hard as the Brazilian built Madrid's attacks, culminating in a harsh foul in the 59th minute that set off a string of confrontations.
The match also featured rough challenges from Kiko Femenía and later from Neom, who was sent off soon after entering the fray, and after the game Iglesias spoke of the incident, insisting that football naturally includes contact and disputes.
Yet there are lines that cannot be crossed, and everyone must respect the opponent and the people involved, because when respect vanishes, sparks nobody loves ensue.
Valdano, speaking on Movistar, urged Vinícius to keep calmer, saying the player is repeatedly asked to control his impulses; such displays do not help the team or the player himself and harm his image.
The former Madrid sporting director added that the player's reactions have begun to appear more often for no clear reason, which could reflect poorly on the group on the pitch.
He recalled a previous incident from September when Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0 and Vinícius reacted badly to a substitution by coach Xabi Alonso, remarking that "Vinícius isn't the same, and the coach isn't either," and that such public acts are not healthy in any case.
Valdano emphasized the club's long-standing support for him both inside and outside Spain, but noted that Real Madrid's interests must come first; fans and the club have stood up for him in many situations, but the club remains above all.
He concluded with a direct message to Vinícius to focus on his football, noting that Vinícius has already reached a level that put him second in Ballon d'Or voting and that this is the base on which he should build.
Real Madrid continues to shine in La Liga this season, with eight wins from nine matches and only a derby loss to city rivals Atlético Madrid, while the team has scored 20 goals and conceded nine in nine rounds so far.
With this victory the Merengues moved to 24 points at the top of La Liga, reclaiming the lead from Barcelona, which had briefly topped the table after a 2-1 win over Girona.
Before kickoff, Madrid arrived on a strong run, winning 10 of their last 11 league games since last season, and have scored two goals or more in seven consecutive league matches—the best goalscoring run since September 2018 when they notched two goals or more in eight straight.
These numbers underline a clear attacking evolution under Xabi Alonso, with the team thriving on a varied attacking repertoire, whether through Mbappé or the creative system behind him.
Mbappé's historic start continues as he reaches 10 goals in nine La Liga appearances for Real Madrid, becoming the first Madrid player to hit 10-plus goals in the opening nine games of a season since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2014-15, who had 17 in the same run.
That early scoring burst underscores the French forward's impact and his pace toward matching some of the club's historic scorers.
