Given his status as one of the most polarizing players in football, Vinicius Jr is often the most popular name in the headlines. The Brazilian has been the most scrutinized player at Real Madrid since his arrival, and talk surrounding him has become commonplace at Real Madrid over the years.
Whether it's journalists or former players talking, Vini is always a popular topic of conversation almost every day, and that seems to be a stigma that will unfortunately follow the Brazilian for his entire career.
And as fans, we've become almost accustomed to seeing Vinicius and his attitude and antics getting called out in the media by journalists and pundits, and former players, but this week, the Brazilian was called out by a person nobody would expect: tennis icon Rafael Nadal.
Vini Jr just got cooked by Rafael Nadal
While speaking with Movistar+, Nadal was asked about the reported fractured relationship between Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid, and he didn't hold back to call out the Brazilian and his attitude saying:
"I believe Vini needs to understand who is in charge and respect that authority, and also the club, given what it means to be a Real Madrid player."Rafael Nadal
He also went on to say he believes that the fractured relationship between the two parties can be resolved by just having a simple dialog:
"I think it can be resolved through dialogue, with everyone on the same page. But I think he’s doing his best, and those things that come out of him, which sometimes aren’t well-received, can be corrected through dialogue and an awareness that things can be improved."Rafael Nadal
The tennis icon and avid Real Madrid supporter has said what a lot of other Real Madrid fans have been saying for quite some time, and much like when Toni Kroos commented on Vini's attitude last week, Nadal is spot on.
The Brazilian has always been a player who wears his heart on his sleeve, but at a point, it can become a detriment to the team, and someone has to speak out, and it seems like we're seeing that become more frequent now.
As mentioned earlier, Vini is one of, if not the most polarizing player in football today and unfourntanetly, these antics are something that comes with the player and are hard habits to kick. It would be beneficial for the Brazilian to take Nadal's words and Kroos' to heart and scale back some of his attitude and antics for the benefit of the team as a whole.