No player in Europe has been fouled more than Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior this season.
The Brazilian has been kicked from pillar to post. He’s been fouled 79 times. That’s 16 more than any other player in Europe’s major leagues and 25 more than any other player in La Liga.
“The question I ask is this: What does Vinicius have to defend himself against? What do his team-mates have to defend themselves against?” coach Carlo Ancelotti responded following Madrid’s 1-0 loss at Real Mallorca on Sunday.
“Is Vinicius the problem? It seems like the problem is Vinicius, but the problem is what happens around him. Period.
“It is a problem of Spanish football. I am a part of Spanish football and I think it’s a problem that we have to solve. Because it seems that Vinicius is the culprit, but he is being the victim of something that I don’t understand.”
The stats underline the issue. Watch him play and you’ll see what Ancelotti is talking about: Vinicius is being targeted. He was fouled 10 times alone in the defeat at Son Moix, yet he was booked before any of Mallorca’s players.
In one sense, that’s testament to his quality.
Take a look at Gabriel Paulista’s desperate lunge in the win against Valencia last week. It was a picture of frustration. After 71 minutes of being given the runaround by his compatriot, he snapped.
Sick of being made to look like a fool, he wasn’t going to allow Vinicius to get past him one more time – so he booted him up in the air, receiving the most obvious red card you’ll see all season.
𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 🟥
The former Arsenal defender kicks out at Vinicius Jr like a mad man and is sent off!#RealMadridValencia #ITVFootball pic.twitter.com/XwZ1yYeo0V
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) February 2, 2023
It’s often the great players that are subject to that kind of a response. Lionel Messi has been on the receiving end of his fair share of challenges just like Gabriel’s.
Jack Grealish was routinely the most-fouled player in England before his £100million move to Manchester City.
During Diego Maradona’s 1986 World Cup, widely regarded as the zenith of individual footballing genius, he was fouled no less than 53 times. No player in World Cup history has suffered more fouls.
El Diego knows all too well the pain of being targeted in Spain. He was the same age Vinicius is now when he was on the…
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