Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti believes Vinicius Jr. will stay at the club despite the player hinting he was open to leaving the club after two years of racist abuse in Spain.
Vinicius said he would not back down in his fight against racism even if he had to go far away to continue his struggle.
Asked if the 22-year-old was contemplating leaving Madrid, Ancelotti said: ‘I don’t think so. He loves Real Madrid. A lot of things have gone through his head but I don’t think it’s on his mind to leave. His love for the club is very big and he wants to make his career here.’
Vinicius did not train on Tuesday May 23, with Ancelotti telling reporters he had a slight knee problem and did not need to risk injury with a suspension of one or two games about to start over his red card he received in Valencia game last Sunday.
When asked if Vinicius had lost his passion for playing in Spain, Ancelotti added: ‘He has not lost it no. We’ll see what his suspension is and we’ll evaluate whether to give him more or fewer days off. If he gets two games, I’ll give him a week’s holiday to be ready for the last game of the season against Athletic. And if he gets one game, he’ll play against Sevilla.’
On the player’s state of mind, Ancelotti said: ‘He is very upset. But he knows he has the support of everyone, not just Madrid. It’s unconditional support and it has even come from rivals.’
England would be Vinicius’ destination if he did walk away from Real Madrid and Ancelotti emphasized the huge difference in the way racism is treated in English and Spanish grounds.
He said: ‘Condemnation is not enough. This has been happening for a long time but still no action has been taken to put an end to this problem of racism. In England they don’t insult you. They solved this issue a long time ago at the time of the ban from European competition. There are no police in the stadiums in England. Here it is like going into a war zone with policeq vans everywhere. They have taken drastic measures [in England].’
In Valencia, police are reviewing footage from both inside and outside the stadium. City councilor Pilar Bernabe said: ‘At the moment, what we know is that three people have been identified, but the work of the National Police is ongoing.’
