Real Madrid may have beaten Barcelona 2-1 at the Bernabeu, but the biggest talking point was Vinicius Junior’s anger at being substituted and the skirmish that followed the final whistle. Hours later, the Brazilian moved to lower the temperature with a post-match message addressed to the Madridistas, delivered on the club’s channel, clarifying that there was no intent to disrespect anyone.
Speaking to Real Madrid TV after full time, Vinicius framed the night’s chaos as part of the rivalry’s emotional churn and emphasised respect for opponents and supporters alike. “This is how El Clásico is; there are many things happening on and off the pitch. We try to maintain balance, but that is not always possible. We didn’t want to offend anyone, neither the young players nor the fans. We know that when we step onto the pitch, we have to play our role, and that’s how it was today,” said Vinicius.
What was the incident?
The flashpoint arrived in the 72nd minute when head coach Xabi Alonso replaced Vinicius with Rodrygo. The forward, heavily involved up to that point, cut a frustrated figure, heading straight towards the tunnel before returning to the bench. At the final whistle, tensions briefly flared again near the technical area, with players from both sides converging amid a swirl of words and shoves before being separated by staff.
Vinicius’s clarification sought to separate competitive edge from disrespect. By addressing young players and fans directly, he signalled that his reaction stemmed from the head of the contest rather than any personal slight. In El Clásico, theater is inseparable from football. In the context, Vini’s message felt like a reset, a bit to refocus discourse on the result and the table rather than the scuffle.
The win itself was significant for Vinicius and his team. Madrid corrected their last season’s stumbles against Barcelona and banked the points that keep their position at the top of the table strong. In that context, the player’s post-match message functions as damage control and leadership rolled into one. This was owning the emotion, steering the narrative back to football, and closing with a reinforcement of unity between team and supporters.
In the end, Vini’s words are both explanation and olive branch. El Clásico magnifies everything: the brilliance, the needle, and the noise. “We didn’t want to offend anyone” is the right note after a combustible evening; it acknowledges the edge that defines this rivalry without letting it define Real Madrid’s night. For the dressing room, it allows for focus to shift to the next fixture, and for the fans, it is reassurance that the swagger remains aligned with respect.
