Vinicius Junior: From Tricky Start to Madrid Icon, Unveiling the Battle with Barcelona
Vinicius Junior, the talented star of Real Madrid, is not only assertive on the pitch but also carries his confidence off it. Despite a challenging beginning to his career at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Brazilian winger has managed to win over the Madrid fanbase and establish himself as an icon. However, things could have taken a different turn.
Following Real Madrid’s victory in a highly publicized battle against Barcelona for the signing of 18-year-old prodigy Arda Guler, Vinicius took to Twitter to express his satisfaction, declaring that he had made the right decision in his eyes.
Sports papers Sport and MD, both based in Barcelona, featured stories on Friday morning referring to a quote from agent Andre Cury. According to Cury, Vinicius is a “culer,” a nickname for Barcelona fans. Cury claimed that Vinicius had cried after witnessing Barcelona’s incredible 6-1 comeback against PSG.
Interestingly, Vinicius was initially signed by Barcelona, with the player’s two agents being close friends of Cury. However, at the last moment, Vinicius’s friends betrayed Cury and the club, leading to the deal falling through. Since 2017, Cury and Vinicius have not had any contact.
Cury has ties to Barcelona and maintains a close working relationship with the club, as does former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. Pique had previously stated that Vinicius had assured him of his intention to join the Blaugrana.
While Vinicius has become a pantomime villain for Barcelona fans, the press also bears a responsibility towards the Brazilian player. The ill-feeling towards Vinicius has escalated into overt racism in stadiums during the previous season, highlighting the need for care and sensitivity towards him.
