Vinicius Junior has been hailed as “the best player in the world in his position” by Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez.
Yesterday, Real Madrid beat Osasuna 2-1 in the final to clinch their 20th Copa Del Rey title. It was also their first title of the season after losing the Spanish Super final back in January and probably will also lose the La Liga title to Barcelona.
Osasuna, who were in their second ever Copa Del Rey final, got off to a wrong start when they conceded in just the second minute. Vinicius Junior moved into the penalty area and found fellow countryman Rodrygo, whose deflected strike drifted over Sergio Herrera in goal.
Osasuna didn’t give up yet, having proved to be a fearless side all season. After forcing a lot of saves by Thibaut Courtois, the Belgian was finally beaten in the 58th minute. Barcelona loanee Abde put a cross in the box and it reached Lucas Torro who scored from a half-volley.
Real then scored in the 70th minute when Vinicius Junior ran through the whole left flank. Fortunately, the ball found the legs of Rodrygo, who again scored to seal the win.
Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema then lifted the title and the Los Blancos once again emerged victorious.
What did Florentino Perez say about Vinicius Junior?
After the game, Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez spoke in a press conference. Amid various questions, he was asked about Vinicius Junior.
According to the official website of the club, the president said, “He’s the best player in the world in his position. Every time he gets the ball, everyone stops to see what he’s going to do.”
Florentino Pérez: "Vinicius Junior is the best player in the world in his position. We should defend players who produce something special like him". ⚪️🇧🇷
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 7, 2023
"Rodrygo is very, very good player… and he's still so young. He's gonna give Madrid fans lot of fantastic years". pic.twitter.com/dd3RH0zGOT
He also spoke about the fouls and the disciplinary cards that the Brazilian has been receiving. “It really is difficult to stop him and generally, the guys who have to mark him foul him a lot. He complains and he gets carded, so I don’t understand that. We have to defend the players who put on a show, who bring joy to football.”
Vinicius was also previously praised by French and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry himself, who described Vinicius Junior as ‘cooking’.
Vinicius has raised up the stakes for Real Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti, finishing eighth in the 2022 Ballon d’Or rankings with 22 goals and 20 assists in 52 games, including a winner in the Champions League final. He has continued to play admirably this season, amassing 22 goals and 21 assists in just 50 games. But the Brazilian has also been controversially yellow-carded 16 times, leading to a backlash against the referees.
Both Vinicius and Real Madrid will hope to continue this form in the upcoming games. They will next face Manchester City in the first leg of the UCL semi final clash on Wednesday.
