Vinicius Jr, in the spotlight. Ancelotti and Real Madrid, very concerned: today he could have a serious problem | OneFootball

It seems that the concessions to Vinicius Jr by the referees have ended. The Real Madrid winger is going through one of the most turbulent periods in recent years. He has just missed almost a month of competition due to the accumulation of sanctions in the League and Champions League. This is in addition to his poor performance in recent months, and in the League he has not scored a goal since the match against Osasuna in early November.

The shadow of a new sanction

At Real Madrid they are concerned about the attitude of the Brazilian, especially towards the referees. Most of the sanctions that the player has accumulated are due to yellow cards seen for his angry protests to the referees. In January he barely played any minutes, leaving the team orphaned in a key LaLiga phase and risking their place in the Champions League play-offs, all because of the sanctions.

The new Champions League regulations

The new Champions League regulations for the current season are not limited to changes in the format or the calendar. One of the aspects that has been modified for the current season is that which refers to penalties for accumulating cards. The player will be sanctioned with a one-match suspension when he accumulates three yellow cards in different matches, as happened in the previous season, but as soon as the first card sanction is imposed, things change. Once the first sanction has been served, a player will have to serve a new cycle upon receiving only two yellow cards, thus making the sanctions more feasible for the offender.

Vinicius Jr, in the spotlight

Carlo Ancelotti and his coaching staff are concerned about this issue. The Brazilian player goes into the tie against Manchester City clean and therefore does not run the risk of missing both tonight’s game and next week’s return unless, for example, he receives a red card or is injured. But in the event that Madrid qualify for the last sixteen, any card the Carioca sees would put him on the verge of another suspension.

In view of what has happened, the concern extends to the possibility of him getting a card in either of the two matches. The Real Madrid staff, with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, is working with the player to make him reconsider, and Vinicius is aware of this, but when the game starts, the impetus and voracity of the player seem to have no limits, something of which the coaching staff is aware.

Vinicius, key to Real Madrid’s successes

Although the Brazilian is not at the top of his game, within the Real Madrid institution there is no doubt about his quality, which has been key to the team’s successes in previous seasons, and they are aware that in order to win again as they did last year it is necessary for the player to find his best form, as they believe that he will be able to minimize his character and that he will be able to play on the pitch on as many occasions as possible.

Real Madrid face their first final of the season tonight (and next week), as being eliminated from the Champions League at the first hurdle would be a big blow for a club that has taken on the attitude of fighting for everything until the last moment. The players are therefore expected to give their best performance, but it is also a time for the players to show the kind of football that has made them some of the best in the world.