Real feud between Modric and Vinicius: “We always respect the captain”
The Croatian pointed out the lack of commitment of the Brazilian, who responded to the veteran player and led to more criticism from another teammate; Carlo Ancelotti supports the midfielder’s argument
Vinícius Júnior was not a factor on the pitch in Real Madrid ‘s hard-fought victory over Leganés in the Copa del Rey, but he caught the eye with a heated exchange he had with Luka Modric five minutes from the end of regular time, when the match was still tied (2-2).
After a move that resulted in a corner for Leganés, Modric turned to Vinícius to vehemently reprimand him for not helping the team in the defensive transition. The Brazilian responded and the Real captain was not happy with this attitude, with the disagreement between the two showing off the field.
After Vinicius’s abrupt response, Federico Valverde also joined the conversation, aligning himself with Modric in criticizing the forward. At that point, the experienced player stopped arguing and focused on defending the corner kick.
The conversation did not change Vinícius’s mood, who then barely celebrated Gonzalo García’s winning goal and as soon as the game ended, he immediately went to the locker room, not celebrating the qualification with the rest of his teammates.
In the post-match press conference, Carlo Ancelotti addressed this incident, which he admitted he had not seen, but indicated which side was right: «I don’t know what happened, but we have to respect what Modric said, we always respect the captain.»
