Xiaoba Yiyanjia|Vinicius is out of favor! The contract renewal is stalemate & poor condition, Alonso doesn t call him

Vinitius was in the limelight a year ago and was a key figure in Real Madrid's offensive end, but now he is trapped in a quagmire of contract renewal, and even fans can be heard booing him on the field. What happened to Vinicius? TheAthletic author Mario Cortegana talked about the player.

A year ago, Vinicius seemed to be at the peak of his career.

In the just-concluded 23/24 season, Vinicius won the Champions League and La Liga double with Real Madrid, contributing 35 goals and assists in 39 games, playing a decisive role in all competitions. He is deeply loved by fans, and many people even believe that even after Mbappe joined, Vinicius should still occupy the main position of the left winger.

Real Madrid is also very satisfied with him. When Saudi Arabia tried to poach the club's board of directors even refused to consider those sky-high transfer proposals. At the beginning of the new season, he is even more popular to win the Golden Globes.

At that time, it was generally believed that the Brazilian star finally fully fulfilled his talent and was full of expectations for his future performance. Unfortunately, after a challenging, personal disappointment in the 24/25 season, the atmosphere surrounding the 25-year-old has been very different.

The multiple sources interviewed in this article (all requested anonymity to protect the relationship) agreed that failure to win the Golden Globe was a heavy burden for Vinicius, even though he won the FIFA Player last December.

The past six months or so, his contract renewal negotiations with Real Madrid have also reached a deadlock, and the resulting unhappiness is undoubtedly a factor affecting his performance on the field. At the Bernabeu Stadium, he even encountered booing from some fans.

New coach Xavi Alonso originally planned to place Vinicius on the bench against Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup. The arrangement was not changed until Arnold was injured. This decision also reflects Vinicius' current situation.

Although the season has just begun, the running-in between the coach and the players has not started well. Sources close to Vinicius predicted: "This will not be an easy season."

Why did this recognized one of the world's top stars experience such a turning point?

Like the entire Real Madrid team, Vinicius failed to reach his personal best last season and the team failed to win any important event championship, which directly led to the departure of coach Ancelotti.

At Real Madrid, the pressure to win the championship is always there, and Vinicius has been particularly in the spotlight in this regard, not just because he is seen as one of the team's core. His ups and downs in the club's new contract negotiations have also played a key role. Especially at the end of last season's league, when he failed to make a breakthrough on the court, there would be obvious dissatisfaction from the Bernabeu stands; there were even booings on the scene a few times when he received the ball.

Real Madrid started contract renewal negotiations in January, aiming to extend Vinicius' contract (the contract was renewed in 2022 to 2027). Negotiations were held at the training base of Valdebebas, with senior club officials presenting, and the players were represented by his father and two agents.

Vinitius' current net annual salary is about €17 million, a figure that contains some of the now activated bonus terms, such as the bonus triggered after winning the FIFA best player last season. The club's net annual salary quote for about 20 million euros was not accepted, so the board of directors asked the players to make specific salary requirements.

The team on behalf of the team asked for a contract that benchmarks the club's historical maximum salary, with an overall annual salary package value of approximately €30 million. This includes basic salary, performance bonuses, and even a renewal bonus (which is not common in Real Madrid's previous contracts).

Vinitius's agent team pointed out that if Real Madrid's unofficial salary cap (although there is no explicit provision, but is usually believed to be around 20 million euros) cannot be broken, players will have to seek transfers to obtain signing fees if they want to earn higher income - just as Mbappe had previously been at Real Madrid. They believe that exceptions should be made for players who have made outstanding contributions to the club.

In April, many Spanish media reported that Vinicius was about to reach a contract renewal, and there were even reports that the official announcement would be carried out after the end of La Liga. At that time, Real Madrid sources told TA that the reports were in the right direction, but the players' team's reaction was between surprise and dissatisfaction, and firmly denied it.

Several months later, Vinicius' contract renewal was neither officially announced nor even finalized. The media that reported that he would renew his contract now changed the negotiations to stall due to players' demand for higher salaries - but this last point does not match the information he has.

Real Madrid has always been extremely cautious in terms of salary structure, so they are not keen on providing renewal bonuses. In addition, the club hopes that Vinicius can regain its peak form. However, all these factors failed to help the player who is trying to get back to form.

Alonso's appointment marks a new beginning. He and the coaching team hope to take advantage of the Club World Cup to inject new impetus into the team to fight the "inertia" they believe has formed.

When asked about his first meeting with Vinicius, Alonso said "very smoothly" before the first match of the Club World Cup.

He added: "I didn't know Vinicius before, but I've seen him many games. Within ten seconds of meeting, I confirmed all my previous impressions and hearings: his personality, how to communicate with people. He is a passionate player. You need to build a close connection with him, and I appreciate such players. How to maximize his role and determine his best position will be the focus of our observation next. After contacting these days, we feel that his heart is very pure and kind."

In the five games played in the United States, Vinicius only contributed one goal and one assist, so Alonso plans to arrange for him to be substitute in the semi-finals against Paris Saint-Germain.. However, Arnold's muscle injury forced Alonso to change his plan, and Vinicius was able to start against Luis Enrique's team, with the right winger, 21-year-old youth training forward Gonzalo Garcia served as center, while Mbappe occupied the left. This decision disappointed Vinicius, after all, he has contributed top performances and established himself at the left winger position over the past few years. After the holidays, sources close to Alonso at the base of Valdebebas chose to downplay the matter and stressed that they expect Vinicius and Mbappe to be crucial this season. The coach's initial idea was to let the two teams join the front line, but its tactical flexibility means that this arrangement may change throughout the season.

However, they also admitted that Vinicius needed to improve his status and pointed out that if he continued his recent performance, his "irreplaceable" status may be shaken, and this role change may not be difficult for teammates, fans and even the club.