Nacho admits Real Madrid have urged Vinicius Jnr to ‘focus on playing’… after ex-Barcelona captain Carles Puyol claimed the Brazilian needs to ‘change his attitude’ to earn greater recognition
- Vinicius was involved in on pitch confrontations against Barcelona and Sevilla
- Real Madrid captain Nacho believes Vinicius is working to be calmer on the pitch
- Liverpool’s Luis Diaz is extraordinary – Listen here to It’s All Kicking Off
Real Madrid captain Nacho has revealed the club have urged Vinicius Jnr to focus on playing to help his game, rather than be embroiled in on pitch confrontations.
The Brazilian star has established himself as one of Real Madrid’s outstanding players, leading to him being awarded a new four-year deal at the end of October.
Vinicius has faced criticism for clashes on the pitch, with former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol claiming he needs to ‘change his attitude’ to earn greater recognition.
‘I would love to talk to him as a soccer teammate and tell him what I think and feel,’ Puyol said, as reported by the Barcelona based newspaper Sport.
‘He is a great player who makes a difference and who should be admired in all fields. ‘If he changed his attitude he would have more recognition.’
Vinicius Jnr has been involved in several on pitch confrontations in recent matches
Ex-Barcelona captain Carles Puyol urged Vinicius to change his attitude for more recognition
Real Madrid captain Nacho said the team were encouraging Vinicius to focus on his own game
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Vinicius had clashed with Barcelona boss Xavi during the Clasico last month after the Brazilian forward appealed for a free-kick.
The Brazilian also infuriated Barcelona’s fans late on by taking his time to walk off the pitch staying to applaud them sarcastically as Raphinha tried to push him over the touchline.
Vinicius was also involved in a confrontation with Sevilla players during their match last month.
Nacho, speaking ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League match with Braga, said Real Madrid’s squad have attempted to keep Vinicius calm but added his style of play lends to him being involved in more confrontations.
‘We have talked a lot with Vini since he arrived at Madrid,’ Nacho said, as reported by Marca.
‘He is the type of player who feels the most provocations due to the way he plays because he is always confronting, always damaging his opponent.
‘We talked to him so that he is calm. Let him know. Focus on playing because it is the most important thing.
Vinicius had clashed with Barcelona boss Xavi during Real Madrid’s Clasico win last month
The Brazilian winger had infuriated fans as he slowly left the pitch when being substituted
Vinicius had also been involved in a confrontation in Real Madrid’s match against Sevllla
The confrontation escalated into a melee between the two sides during the match last month
‘Little by little he’s getting better, but he’s got a lot of character, here, we take great care of him.”
‘And Puyol’s words, if he tells him things to help him, then perfect.’
During his time in La Liga, Vinícius has been the target of racist insults from opposing fans.
The winger recently provided testimony in the trial of three Valencia fans accused of racially abusing him during a match in May.
He had allegedly been racially abused as he was substituted in Real’s 2-1 win over Barcelona.
Vinicius praised Sevilla for their swift response after they expelled a fan from its stadium and filed a complaint with police after a fan allegedly aimed racist abuse at the Brazilian last month.
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