Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema Caught Criticizing Teammate Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid star Karim Benzema was caught criticizing his teammate Vinicius Junior in the tunnel during the Borussia Monchengladbach and Real Madrid game.

Benzema reportedly told teammate Ferland Mendy not to pass the ball to Vinicius Junior during the game. In context he said, “He does what he wants. Brother don’t play to him. On my mother’s life. He is playing against us.” Benzema was clearly frustrated at how Vinicius Jr. was playing during the match. 

Vinicius Junior was replaced by Eden Hazard during the second half. The fixture ended with a draw after Benzema scored a goal assisted by Casemiro and then Casemiro himself scored a goal assisted by Sergio Ramos. 

After the incident, Benzema responded with a post on Instagram, that says “And while the dogs bark, the number nine ignores it.” This post is clearly intended to respond to the released tunnel conversation. 

Real Madrid head coach Zidane responded to the incident by claiming that both Benzema and Vinicius Junior talked to each other about the matter and resolved it. Everything is now “perfect” between the two players. Zidane also claimed that incidents like that happen a lot on the pitch, especially during a heated moment, but afterward, everything is forgotten. This incident shows the team’s character. 

Clearly, Vinicius Junior who is a very young player with a lot of talent and potential, might still not be able to make the best decisions on the pitch like other experienced players in the team including Benzema. With time, the player can improve his decision-making skills on the pitch. 

This is not the first time a Real Madrid player was caught criticizing a member of the club. Recently, Isco was captured criticizing head coach Zidane.