Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. has been told to control his behaviour by his teammates, as confirmed by striker Joselu in an interview with El Desmarque.
Joselu joined Los Blancos on loan from Espanyol and has done a sterling job thus far this season when called on by head coach Carlo Ancelotti to provide back up for Rodrygo and Vinicius.
With just nine La Liga matchdays remaining as Madrid leads the pack by eight points, Joselu has gotten to know Vinicius well and spoke about the Brazilian while international football has temporarily taken over the calendar.
“Vini is a peculiar guy. In the locker room he is a very humble boy, always smiling. He’s a guy who from day one has treated me very well since I arrived here. He’s a guy who does a lot in the locker room,” Joselu explained.
“It’s clear that on the pitch he’s a player who transforms a little, but I think it’s because of that margin that he has to decide games. He’s such a decisive player, such a good player, one of the best players in the world, and I think the opponents and the opposition fans are bothered by that,” Joselu went on.
Amid a report from SPORT that Madrid is worried about the number 7’s attitude, Joselu also slightly criticized it.
“It’s clear that there are gestures that he can improve, but he’s very young and we’re all supporting him for that. There will be times when he has to decide how to carry out and deal with those gestures and those things, but he’s a spectacular guy.
“We all have a lot of affection for him in the dressing room and little by little he is going to bring out his positive side in all that,” Joselu predicted.
On Saturday following a 4-2 win over Osasuna, where ‘Vini’ picked up a fourth yellow card that will keep him out of Madrid action for a month, Ancelotti said that his player needs to learn to control himself better.
Joselu confirmed that Vinicius’ Madrid teammates have also told him to change his behaviour on occasion by advising him “don’t leave us with ten” men when the 23-year-old has already been cautioned yet continues to involve himself in controversies.
“I think he’s such a decisive player in every game that he knows it. He knows he can decide a game on his own and I think he’s very fundamental for us,” Joselu concluded.
Over the international break, Vinicius will play at the Bernabeu for Brazil against his adopted homeland Spain.