Xabi Alonso sends clear message to Vinicius Junior after Real Madrid star’s angry reaction to substitution
Real Madrid claimed victory in El Clásico for Matchday 10 of the 2025-26 La Liga season on Sunday, but part of the spotlight was stolen by Vinicius Junior, who was visibly frustrated after being substituted. Following the win over FC Barcelona, head coach Xabi Alonso issued a clear message to the Brazilian star regarding the incident.
In a tense and evenly matched contest, Vinicius proved to be one of Real Madrid’s most dangerous players, constantly threatening down the left wing. He was also involved in a controversial first-half moment when Lamine Yamal appeared to foul him inside the box, a play that went unpunished by the referee.
In the 72nd minute, Alonso made a double change, replacing Federico Valverde with Dani Carvajal and bringing on Rodrygo in place of Vinicius. While Valverde seemed to pick up a knock, Vinicius reacted angrily upon seeing his number on the board.
As he left the pitch, he was caught on camera muttering “Always me,” frustrated at being withdrawn once again, and walked straight past Alonso without acknowledging him before heading to the locker room. Minutes later, he returned to the bench to celebrate with his teammates, before clashing again with Yamal after the final whistle.
Despite being one of the team’s marquee players, Vinicius’ role under Xabi Alonso has seen some adjustments amid inconsistent performances. Out of the 13 games he has featured in this season (10 in La Liga and 3 in the UEFA Champions League), he has started 11, been subbed off in 8 of them, and completed the full 90 minutes just three times in league play.
Xabi Alonso’s response to Vinicius
Although Real Madrid secured a 2-1 win over Barcelona, Vinicius’ reaction quickly became a talking point among fans and media, fueling speculation of tension between the winger and Alonso, who is in his first full season in charge at the Santiago Bernabéu. After the match, the manager downplayed the situation but made it clear he plans to address it internally.
“There are many positive things I take away from the match — a lot of good things from Vini,” Alonso said in the post match press conference. “We’ll talk about that, of course, but I don’t want to lose focus on what really matters. These are things we’ll discuss, but within the context of what was a great game, Vini also contributed a lot.”
The Spanish coach also praised his team’s collective effort, making it clear his priority was on the result rather than the controversy. “All the other players, many of the things we wanted to do were achieved, and it’s an important, well-deserved win — even a bit short, because we had chances like the penalty. This victory will give us again that feeling of being a competitive team in big games. The rest, we’ll talk about it,” he concluded.