For Real Madrid, Sunday marked a moment of redemption. After suffering defeats in all four encounters against their bitter rivals Barcelona last season, Los Blancos triumphed in their initial clash of the 2025-26 season.
The day was also cause for celebration as Madrid secured a 2-1 victory in the Clásico, marking Xabi Alonso’s debut match as head coach in this illustrious rivalry.
However, not all were celebrating.
In the 72nd minute, Alonso opted to substitute Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior for his compatriot Rodrygo. Vinícius, last year’s Ballon d’Or runner-up, visibly expressed his discontent with the decision.
The 25-year-old showed his frustration as he left the field, vocally directing his complaints toward the Madrid bench before heading straight down the tunnel.
Steve McManaman, a former Real Madrid player from 1999 to 2003, commented during ESPN’s coverage.
“It’s not just about one player; it’s about the team as a whole. It’s about achieving collective success, going five points ahead, and overcoming Barcelona after their dominance last year. This was Alonso’s first Clásico win as coach,” he stated on ESPN FC. “We shouldn’t be focusing on a player feeling upset about being substituted.”
“It drives me mad.”
In Alonso’s first 13 games as manager this season, Vinícius has only completed the full 90 minutes three times. Earlier in the season, his representatives made it known to ESPN that they were dissatisfied with his playing time under Alonso. However, the situation has since improved, with Vinícius finishing three out of the last six matches.
Rodrygo has had to wait patiently for more opportunities as Madrid adapts to Alonso’s tactics, having logged only 316 minutes—less than half the playing time of 18-year-old summer addition Franco Mastantuono and 35 minutes fewer than Brahim Díaz, despite having outperformed the latter by over 2,800 minutes in the past two seasons.
“It’s disrespectful to the manager and to his teammate coming in for him,” stated Luis García, a former player who had a tenure with Blaugrana after 12 years in their academy, on ESPN FC. “Rodrygo must be wondering if Vinícius thinks he’s superior to him and everyone else. That’s where the issue lies.”
Alonso, as expected, remained diplomatic while addressing Vinícius’ outburst after the match.
“I’ll emphasize the numerous positives from the game and Vinícius’s contributions,” Alonso remarked in the post-match press conference. “We will discuss Vinícius’ reaction, but I don’t want to divert attention from what truly matters.”
“We’ll address this in the context of the excellent match it was. Vini made significant contributions. It’s crucial for us to feel like a competitive team in major games. As for the rest, we’ll have that conversation.”
Much of the football community is already discussing the incident. While Madrid should be celebrating a pivotal victory that underscores their ambitions for the LaLiga title, Alonso and his team find themselves needing to manage a situation involving a player who, at this moment, hasn’t helped his manager or teammates.