Vinicius Junior has explained why he was so furious at being hauled off against AS Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday night, a striking incident that kicked up a storm on social media.
Jose Mourinho had restored the Brazilian to his starting line-up for the Roma game after taking him off against Villarreal. The reward never came.
Forced into action on 59 minutes, the Portuguese boss withdrew Vinicius and sent on fellow Brazilian Endrick with Madrid trailing 1-3.
Vinicius objected to the decision, insisting he should not have been coming off at that moment.
Endrick then stole the show, scoring one and making another to win man of the match as Real Madrid stormed to a thrilling 4-3 victory.
Vinicius admits his level has dropped and praises Endrick
Speaking after the Roma match in comments carried by Spanish newspaper "Marca", Vinicius said: "It is natural for me to be angry after being substituted, because I always want to deliver my best level and help the team. But the changes made the difference. Endrick changed the rhythm of the match and was the best, and Carlos (Espi) came on for just a few minutes and managed to score."
The Brazilian added: "I am angry with myself because I am not delivering the best version of me, but in the end, Vini always comes back, and I have no doubt that I will return to my level."
Vinicius's stance on the whistles from Real Madrid fans
He also tackled the jeers aimed at him by the Santiago Bernabeu crowd, stressing that he understands the supporters' right to express their opinions, even if those whistles do nothing for his performance.
Vinicius said: "Perhaps the jeering does not help me, but the fans pay for their tickets and they have the right to express their opinion. We play better when the fans are on our side. Jude Bellingham performs better, Kylian Mbappe plays better, and I am better too."
"I think it is easier to whistle at me, because I have been at the club for longer and because I am one of Real Madrid's leaders," he continued.
His message about riding out this difficult spell was clear: "I will come back. When I arrived here at a young age, many people mocked me, but in the end I have scored more than 100 goals in a Real Madrid shirt."
Vinicius will now sit out Real Madrid's next four La Liga matches after the suspension handed to him on Wednesday evening.