Vinicius Junior had to be physically restrained in the tunnel because Real Madrid’s 3-0 win over Mallorca on Thursday ended in a brawl.
The Brazil international has been involved in a lengthy war of words with Mallorca right-back Pablo Maffeo, who has previously joked about knocking out Vinicius “in ten seconds” if the pair ever met on the pitch.
Tensions between the two players boiled over within minutes of Thursday’s game. Maffeo pushed Vinicius, who responded with a slap to the Mallorca defender’s chest that caused him to fall theatrically to the floor.
Vinicius was caught on camera calling Maffeo “terrible” as he vowed to knock Mallorca out of the competition, before Madrid’s star striker was booked for no fewer than five fouls on Maffeo.
Jude Bellingham opened the scoring Madrid shortly after the hour mark. Vinicius was withdrawn with two minutes to go, after an own goal and a Rodrygo strike in the 95th minute removed any doubt about the result.
Maffeo’s reaction to the third goal was enough to spark a reaction from both Bellingham and center Raul Asencio, who ended up at the center of a huge brawl as the game wound down.
Vinicius became involved in the dispute after the final whistle and footage showed him being physically restrained in the tunnel as he tried to advance towards the Mallorca side.
“We’re not talking about him, it’s what he wants,” Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni said of Maffeo after the game.
The ugliness of the match’s conclusion disappointed Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
“It was an unnecessary struggle for both teams,” he told the press. “It doesn’t make sense.
“It was unnecessary, the game was already over. I don’t blame anyone, neither the Mallorca players nor the Real Madrid players. But a ‘fight’ like that was unnecessary. The players were a bit heated and I tried to calm things down. It went down a bit with Maffeo, nothing happened in the end, but that ending was unnecessary.”
