Real Madrid and Brazil superstar Vinicius Junior have lashed out at referees in La Liga. He has complained about the lack of cards being issued to opponents who foul him repeatedly in games.
Vinicius was once again on the scoresheet for Real Madrid as he scored in their last victory against Espanyol 3-1. It was his 19th goal in 39 appearances. He also boasts 9 assists.
Vinicius Junior was obviously again the victim of fouls again as opposition players who fail to stop the explosive and dynamic winger, tackle him to stop him. He has been fouled 138 times this season, the most in Europe’s top five leagues and 34 times more than the next player on the list.
Even though he is the victim of fouls, Vinicius himself has 12 yellow cards this season, including one against Espanyol. Only two players, Sofyan Amrabat and Alex Baena have more in the top five leagues.
What did Vinicius say regarding the referees?
In an interview he gave to ESPN after the game, he said, “Referees don’t give fouls and they don’t give yellow cards, players can foul me 15 times and, when the game is in the 88th minute, the referee gives a yellow.”
🗣️ Vinà Jr: “When others foul, they don’t get a Yellow. When I make my first foul, I get a Yellow. I don’t want them to protect me, I want them to whistle when there’s a foul.” @elchiringuitotv pic.twitter.com/8n8kxosNcW
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) March 11, 2023
He then said he understands the players, “Players have to think of a way to stop me, and, by committing fouls, it becomes very easy for them.”
He then blamed the referees and told them to be more consistent, “I don’t judge the players, but I judge the referees because they have to apply the rules correctly.”
He also spoke about how he has to learn to keep a cool head despite the situations, “What I have to do is to try to keep a clear head. I make mistakes sometimes; I’m only 22. I’ll make a lot of mistakes. But I want to make fewer mistakes and keep learning.”
Vinicius’s statements come at a time when Barcelona, their rivals have been charged with bribing an ex-referee chief to influence decisions in their favor. The club claims they made the payments only for technical advice and reports.
The game started badly when Espanyol scored first in the 8th minute thanks to Joselu. It didn’t take long for Vinicius to equalize with some superb short passes in the left flank before striking the ball graciously in the bottom right corner. Just before halftime, Eder Militao put them in the lead when he scored a superb header. Marco Asensio then scored a third in the 93rd minute as a substitute, sealing a comeback win for Los Blancos.
It was another comeback victory for Carlo Ancelotti’s men. They are now six points behind league leaders Barcelona who will next face Athletic Bilbao tonight. Later, Real will host Liverpool for the Champions League Round of 16-second leg on Thursday after winning the first leg at Anfield 5-2. They will then face Barcelona away on Monday to help decide the La Liga title race.
