Carlo Ancelotti revealed he spoke to Vinícius Júnior after the Brazilian’s El Clásico outburst and condemned the Real Madrid superstar’s actions.
Vinícius Júnior lost his cool when Xabi Alonso replaced him with Rodrygo in the 72nd minute against Barcelona on Sunday, Oct. 26. The winger stormed off the pitch and down the tunnel before eventually returning to the bench to see out Los Blancos’ 2–1 victory.
The incident prompted former Real Madrid boss Ancelotti to reach out to Vinícius Júnior, who he called up for Brazil’s upcoming November matches against Senegal and Tunisia.
“We have a good rapport with Vinícius just as we have with other players,” Ancelotti said. “I have spoken to Vinícius about it, I told him what I thought, that he made a mistake.
“He understood he had made a mistake and he apologized. I believe the issue is resolved. He is a very important player for us. He can help us a lot.”
Vinícius Júnior indeed issued a private and public apology to Real Madrid for his behavior at the Santiago Bernabéu. Alonso later admitted he was “very satisfied” with the forward’s statement.
“He doesn’t have a problem here or in his club, or with his coach [Xabi Alonso]. As for his personal life, it’s his, I’m not his father nor his brother, I’m just his coach,” Ancelotti added.
Ancelotti, Vinícius Júnior Hoping to Lead Brazil to World Cup Glory
Despite the drama surrounding Vinícius Júnior and Alonso this season, the former has nearly rediscovered his top form. The Brazil international has recorded 11 goal contributions in 2025–26, once again looking like the player who was a Ballon d’Or favorite just last year.
Two of those goal involvements came for the Seleção during the October international break.
Vinícius Júnior bagged a goal and an assist in Brazil’s 5–0 rout over South Korea.
In the four games the 25-year-old has played for his country under Ancelotti, he has two goals and one assist to his name. The numbers certainly do not jump off the page, but Vinícius Júnior previously only found the back of the net six times in 39 appearances for Brazil.
Ancelotti will hope to continue getting solid production out of his star winger ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the Seleção are eager to put in a better performance than their back-to-back quarterfinal exits in 2018 and 2022.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Mistake’—Carlo Ancelotti Gives Verdict on Vinicius Junior’s Clasico Antics .
