Rüdiger: Vinícius is still learning, it’s not easy to be fouled and provoked so much. The referees need to do a better job

Vinícius Junior is a major figure at Real Madrid. In the current season he has collected 19 goals and 9 assists and together with Karim Benzema he is the main danger for the opponent’s defence. At the same time, however, he is constantly in the action, even when he is not playing.

It’s not easy for the young Brazilian. Although Vinícius puts in great performances on the pitch, he falls out of role from time to time and focuses more on arguing with the opposing team, the referee or the opposition fans.

Of all the players in the Top 5 leagues, he is the most fouled player and some of his interventions have gone beyond the limits of fair-play. He has to hear a lot from the fans as well.

In the match against Osasuna, for example, a fan yelled “Vinícius, you son of a bitch ” during the minute of silence, followed by the whole stadium chanting “Vinícius, die.”

It was similar at the end of December last year in a match against Real Valladolid. Vinícius was racially abused by the fans, shouting at him that he was a “f*cking nigger” or a “f*cking monkey,” for which he was recently given a three-and-a-half-year ban from the stadium.

Vinícius is so often the subject of questions at press conferences, even if he doesn’t attend them at all. Before the first game against Liverpool, even Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp was asked about the situation surrounding the young Brazilian.

“That he does something on the pitch that provokes these reactions? Nothing in the world can justify whatever he does on the pitch, which I don’t know, so I don’t think….. Imagine if I said yes, that something he does on the pitch can cause these reactions… it’s absolute madness,” the German coach said at the time.

And even in the press conference before the rematch, Vinícius’ name came up, although the 22-year-old striker did not attend. Antonio Rüdiger was asked what his teammate thought of the situation?

“He has to concentrate on his style of play because when he plays like that he is one of the best. But it’s hard when you’re always getting kicked around and provoked so much. He’s still young and he’s still learning. But the referees have to do a better job and measure everyone with the same yardstick, not treat some better and some worse,” Rüdiger said.

Source: MARCA, Real Madrid