Ex-Real Madrid scout slams 'brainless' Vinicius Junior after Champions League exit

Madrid suffered a heartbreaking quarter-final elimination after Michael Olise and Luis Diaz scored late goals to secure a 4-3 second-leg victory for Bayern. The 15-time winners led three times on the night through Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe but were hampered by Eduardo Camavinga’s late red card. Romero has identified Vinicius’ lack of ruthlessness as a primary reason for the failure, noting that the squad suffered as a result of his poor finishing.

The former scout expressed his exhaustion with players he deems to be lacking tactical maturity while representing the most prestigious club in football history. He recalled his time coaching youth football to highlight the importance of discipline and mental application on the training pitch.

Lamenting the current state of the Madrid attack and the lack of progress in specific areas of the game, Romero told Cadena SER: "How many shows have I spent saying they need to work on their finishing, that they need to work on their brains? I see his [Vinicius] brain isn't workable, but his finishing is. Let’s work on it. It’s the reality. The first thing is to sign players who have brains. I’m tired of having brainless players wearing the most glorious shirt in football history."

Romero pointed to a perceived lack of work ethic as a significant barrier for the Brazilian, contrasting his attitude with club legends like Hugo Sanchez. He argued that the modern Madrid forward line falls well short of the legendary trio of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Stressing the need for self-reflection and additional practice to bridge the gap with Europe's elite, Romero added: "I’d like to see the school reports of this Real Madrid squad. I want to see what Vinicius got in History and Geography... what Camavinga got in Math.

"He [Vinicius] doesn't have the humility to admit he is very poor at finishing. I got married, went to Madrid for my honeymoon, went to watch Real Madrid training, and Hugo Sanchez would spend an hour just practicing his finishing. Vinicius, the one who actually needs to do it... doesn't."

Madrid must now turn their attention back to La Liga as they look to salvage their season following the disappointment in Bavaria. Currently trailing leaders Barcelona by nine points with only seven games remaining, Alvaro Arbeloa’s side is set to face Deportivo Alaves next Tuesday.

The squad need to demonstrate mental resilience to remain in contention for domestic honours while addressing the glaring finishing issues highlighted by their latest European exit.