Vinícius Júnior’s Public Apology Sparks Mixed Emotions as Madrid Clinches Clasico

Vinícius Júnior’s apology after substitution

Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior apologized for his heated reaction as he was substituted against Barcelona in the 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu on matchday ten of La Liga.

In the 72nd minute he voiced his disagreement loudly as he headed toward the locker room, without glancing at coach Xabi Alonso. He later posted on his official Instagram account: “I want today to apologize to all Madridistas for my reaction when I was substituted in the Clasico, and as I did during training today, I also want to apologize again to my teammates, the club and the president.”

He added that sometimes passion gets the better of him because he always wants to win and help his team; his competitive character stems from his love for this club and what it represents. He pledged to continue fighting for Real Madrid at every moment.

With the win, Madrid moved to 27 points, five ahead of Barcelona in second place.

Alonso’s calm leadership and Mbappé’s influence

The Madrid coach spoke with confidence after securing his first Clasico win as manager, noting the result was deserved and that the team must stay calm and focused on the important points. He said: “I am very happy for the players; they needed to know they could win in a game of this magnitude.” He dismissed the idea that the victory relieves him of pressure, saying there is still a lot to do.

Alonso also addressed post-match questions about Vinícius, noting that there were positives to take and that the issue would be discussed within the group without letting it distract from the key points.

Madrid’s attack benefited from Mbappé’s presence, who has established himself as the primary offensive catalyst in the final third. This season, Mbappé has 16 goals and 2 assists in 13 matches across La Liga and the Champions League, shaping a more diverse attack that reduces Vinícius’ sole central role. His movement has forced opponents to split attention, allowing Madrid to vary their approach.

Overall, Real Madrid secured a long-awaited victory over their arch-rivals, snapping a four-game Clasico drought from the previous season.

Two light punchlines for the locker room:

1) If emotions counted as goals, Vinícius would be leading the league with a hat-trick every game—talk about a red-hot striker with flair for drama.

2) Madrid’s calm in the post-match press conference was so cool that even the Bernabéu could serve as a chill pill—new season, same old drama, but with fewer referees in the headlines.