Clasico

There has been tension and, at times, the atmosphere has been cold between Vinicius and Alonso.

The incident that defined the current mood came in the final training session before the Club World Cup semi-final against PSG. Vini, who had started every match until then, was told he would be a substitute. He did not take it well and Alonso stood firm, determined to show that no player, however talented, is beyond instruction.

That dynamic has continued.

The manager has insisted Vinicius will not finish every game, that he needs to rest more, and Rodrygo will challenge him for a place on the left side of the attack. Alonso’s stance is rooted in authority and planning. Vini Jr, used to being indulged, has found it hard to adapt.

The coach’s approach is consistent with the way he was as a player: methodical, controlled and, on top of that, he has the personality to be unafraid of confrontation. He wants every member of the squad to understand who sets the tone. For him, managing Real Madrid means creating order, not deferring to star power.

Vinicius, meanwhile, feels treated like any other player when he expected a closer, more personal relationship. The warmth he shared with Ancelotti is missing, replaced by professional distance.

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr says he “didn’t want to offend anyone” when he and some of his team-mates clashed with Barcelona players after winning Sunday’s El Clasico.

The Brazil forward, 25, expressed his frustration at being substituted in the 72nd minute and went straight down the tunnel.

He returned to the Real bench later and, after his side’s 2-1 win, tried to confront Barcelona’s 18-year-old winger Lamine Yamal during unsavoury post-match scenes.

Vinicius was one of five players booked for their part in the incident, while Real’s substitute goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was shown a red card.

“El Clasico is like that,” Vinicius told Real Madrid TV. “There are a lot of things happening on and off the pitch.

“We try to maintain a balance, but it’s not always possible. We didn’t want to offend anyone, not Barca players, nor the fans.

“We know that when we step on to the pitch, we have to defend our side, and that’s how it was today.”

Lamine Yamal had angered the Real players by saying last week that Real ‘steal’ and ‘complain’.

After scoring Sunday’s winner at the Bernabeu, Real’s England midfielder Jude Bellingham said on Instagram:, external “Talk is cheap. Hala Madrid always.”

Bellingham’s start to the season was inevitably difficult, having had shoulder surgery in July for a long-standing injury he sustained in 2023.

He missed 63 days of training and playing, including five matches for Los Blancos.

In his first appearance back in late September, he was welcomed to the pitch with a huge roar as his return thrilled the Madridistas.

“Bellingham has nothing to prove on Sunday,” said Real supporter Carlos Campillo. “He already does that with every game he plays in and every assist he makes. He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone but himself.

Fellow fan Juan Antonio Lillo added: “It’s not a decisive game for him. He needs to keep picking up pace and getting a feel for the game. It’s just one more step towards reaching the level he needs to be at and he’ll get there sooner or later.”

Since Bellingham’s return, he has appeared in six more fixtures in all competitions, slowly increasing his minutes and trying to rediscover his best form.

For much of that stretch, however, his influence was limited – until this week, where his match-winning goal in the Champions League against Juventus reignited the Bernabeu’s belief – and perhaps his too.

“It’s a great feeling, a long time now since I’ve scored, a lot of time out and dreaming of that moment, back in the Champions League and against a big team”, Bellingham told US broadcaster CBS after scoring his first goal of the season.

“To score a winner here at home, it’s unbelievable. I felt comfortable, really good. To play well was important, and to score the winning goal helps the team a lot.”

Bellingham shone in his debut season at the Bernabeu, scoring 19 goals in La Liga, but his form dipped slightly in 2024–25 as Madrid finished the campaign without a major trophy.

“I didn’t think last year was a disaster,” he reflected. “[It was] still 15 goals, 14 assists, but I know the general feeling was that it was worse. But I was a part of that, how we didn’t play as well last year.

“There were still good moments, but not the level I want to play at, not the level like the first year. Now I’ve had my shoulder surgery, a new manager, he’s got that shape, how we want to play.”