Lothar Matthäus has launched a scathing attack on Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior over his conduct both on and off the pitch. He called on club president Florentino Pérez to intervene and take a clear stance on the player, having noted an improvement in Real's performances during the matches the Brazilian winger missed under manager José Mourinho.
German newspaper "Bild" carried the comments of the Bayern Munich and Germany legend, who works as a pundit for "Sky Sports". He expressed his bewilderment at how Real Madrid are handling Vinícius' future, insisting the team looked better in his absence after securing important victories, including the win over Barcelona in the Clásico and the 4-3 win over Roma.
Matthäus said: "I'm curious to know what Real Madrid will do with Vinícius Júnior, because the team works better in his absence, and this has now become Mourinho's task. He produced a good performance without Vinícius, who was substituted in the Roma match, which the team also won 4-3."
His criticism was not limited to the player's technical level. It extended to his conduct and personality, with Matthäus arguing that Vinícius' behaviour causes problems and does not help the team. He pointed out that the player's public image differs from the one a player of his stardom ought to project.
Matthäus added: "He's a troublemaker, and that doesn't benefit the team in any way. I was pleased that he wasn't among the top ten in the Ballon d'Or rankings, because what sets Harry Kane apart is that he always comes across as a gentleman, who deals with things with understanding and gives everything its time, whereas Vinícius is not like that."
The German legend pressed on with his attack, arguing that Real Madrid are suffering because of the winger's behaviour, unlike clubs such as Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who do not face the same problem, as he put it.
He explained: "Fortunately, we don't have such a problem at Bayern Munich, nor does Barcelona, but Real Madrid has a problem called Vinícius Júnior. When he's not present, the team works better, becomes more disciplined, and all the players play for each other, but with him there, everything becomes about ego and arrogance, and that harms the team and the club too."
A direct message followed for Florentino Pérez. Matthäus urged the president to intervene and settle the club's position on the player, whether by reprimanding him or backing Mourinho's decision to keep him on the bench, even if he returns to action after his suspension ends.
He said: "I hope, for the sake of Real Madrid, that the president will clearly express his position on Vinícius Júnior at some point, whether by rebuking him or leaving him on the bench by Mourinho's decision. Even if his suspension ends, he could stay on the bench, because I believe he is clearly harming the team and the club."
Vinícius is going through a difficult period at Real Madrid. He was handed a four-match suspension following his sending-off against Villarreal, punishment for an incident in which he pulled Saliba's hair, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla and Barcelona, as well as the Racing fixture scheduled for this week.
The Brazilian is expected to return to Real Madrid's plans against AEK Athens on 4 November, in the UEFA Champions League, after sitting out a run of matches in which the team put in impressive displays.
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