Former Real Madrid player Ivan Helguera has expressed criticism of Vinicius Jr. for his controversial gestures during Real Madrid’s recent 3-3 draw against Rayo Vallecano. Although Vinicius Jr. is widely recognized as one of the top players globally when concentrating on his performance, his behavior has frequently been questioned because of his tendency to engage in arguments with referees and rival fans.
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After recovering from injury, Vinicius Jr. started in Real Madrid’s crucial 3-2 Champions League victory over Atalanta. However, in the match against Rayo Vallecano, he came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute with the team leading 3-2. Shortly after his arrival, Isi Palazon scored to equalize for Rayo. Vinicius was unable to help secure a win for Madrid and was booked for dissent, which will result in a suspension for the next match against Sevilla. Furthermore, he made inappropriate gestures towards the home supporters, showing a “2” with his fingers, suggesting that Rayo would be relegated to the Segunda Division next season.
Rayo president Raul Martin Presa defended the fans, saying, “For me, the public behaved very politely. Nobody was insulted, no disrespect was shown. It’s an inappropriate gesture, but it stays in football. The behaviour of the Vallecas fans was excellent throughout the match.”
At an event, Helguera commented on Vinicius Jr.’s actions: “I think certain things used to happen more often without much consequence, but now anyone can do them,” Helguera said (via AS).
“His gesture has been made by many players around the world, in many places. But now, perhaps, everything he does is under scrutiny, and at times he doesn’t behave as he should. We know how he is, and we need to help him avoid these situations. There are too many consequences in football now for things that used to be seen as normal.”
