Vinicius Junior Breaks Silence with Cryptic Four-Word Response Following Explosive Real Madrid Appearance
Vinicius Junior began Real Madrid's journey to Real Oviedo from the substitutes' bench and concluded the 3–0 victory controversially dominating the spotlight.
Following an eventful 30-minute period, Vinicius turned to social media to share an image of himself enjoying the environment in Asturias. The Brazilian chose only four words for his caption: "Eu sou isso aí..." which approximately means "This is who I am."
Xabi Alonso benched the Brazilian attacker in favor of his fellow countryman Rodrygo in the most debated of four lineup changes for Sunday night's match at Estadio Carlos Tartiere. The new manager had allegedly contemplated sidelining Vinicius during Madrid's Club World Cup semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain until Trent Alexander-Arnold's late injury disrupted those intentions.
The English player was also positioned among the reserves as Alonso finally executed his plan. Kylian Mbappé again featured centrally and provided the visitors with a first-half advantage, though the match remained competitive when Vinicius substituted Rodrygo for the closing thirty minutes.
Oviedo's Kwasi Sibo struck the bottom of Thibaut Courtois's goalpost just moments before Vinicius dispossessed a hesitant Haissem Hassan in the attacking third. The controversial winger unselfishly threaded a pass to Mbappé as the French striker secured a 2–0 lead in the 83rd minute.
Vinicius reacted to Mbappé's strike with intense emotion, gesturing so dramatically that the Frenchman needed to silence his colleague. Rather than targeting Alonso, reports suggest Vinicius was venting his annoyance at the referees who had cautioned him with a yellow card for an obvious simulation moments before.
That theatrical fall triggered the entire Oviedo crowd to chant "tonto, tonto," meaning fool, fool. Vinicius would ultimately prevail, quieting the recently promoted side with a skillfully executed goal during injury time. In celebration, the winger indicated that Oviedo would be returning to the Segunda División next season.