Spanish newspaper claims Vini Jr. “lacks the spark” he had last season

Vini Jr. returned to Spain this week to fulfill his commitments at Real Madrid. After a frustrating FIFA date for the Brazilian National Team, which lost to Paraguay on Tuesday night (10), it raised some questions and criticisms about the striker's performance at the start of the season.

Performance below

An article published in the world-renowned Spanish newspaper “As” harshly criticized the Real Madrid player’s drop in performance. The headline “Vinicius wanted” made reference to the Real Madrid star's loss, who is having a lower-than-expected start to the season. In addition, the newspaper stated that Vinicius Junior's drop in performance is as undeniable as it is worrying and that he has lost the “spark” from the previous season.

The player, who received an offer from Saudi Arabia, has only scored once in seven matches this season. According to the publication, Real Madrid is concerned that the Saudis' million-dollar offer has put off the number seven. According to “As”, another factor that could have influenced his drop in performance would be the statements he made regarding the 2023 World Cup, which will be held in Spain.

_{Vini Jr. warming up for Real Madrid (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@vinijr)}

Golden Ball

It is a well-known fact that Vini Jr. is considered one of the favorite candidates to win the next Ballon d'Or, however, the article in the Spanish media stated that he is not being the player he has already shown he can be. “May the favorite player for the next Ballon d’Or recover a Ballon d’Or level”concluded the publication.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes that Vinicius Junior's recovery is the priority at the moment. The Brazilian and the rest of the Madrid club's squad will return to action on Saturday at 4pm against Real Sociedad in the Spanish league.

Featured photo: Vinicius Junior arriving at the national team match (reproduction/Instagram/@cbf_futebol)