Former Real Madrid player goes viral for controversial Vinicius Junior rant – ‘In the end, he’s the one crying’ | OneFootball

Former Real Madrid player Javier Balboa has caused uproar on social media for his lengthy rant on the attitude of Vinicius Junior, amid a focus on the racial abuse he has received over the past years.

Vinicius broke down in tears on Monday during a press conference, expressing his frustrations with the Spanish authorities, and explaining the suffering he has been going through on account of the racial abuse.

He was met with almost unanimous support, but on late night show El Chiringuito, Balboa explained that from his point of view, Vinicius needed to work on his attitude. The programme has a habit of incendiary remarks, and exhibiting anything but sympathy for Vinicius was always likely to cause a backlash. This was Balboa’s rant.

“If I see that Rudiger is black and Vinicius is black, I will get into with it with both of them, but if the one I can affect is Vinicius, I’ll go after him. There is nobody that leaves their house thinking I’m going to go after Vinicius just because I feel like it. I’m going to go after Militao, Rudiger, Camavinga, ah! No, I’m going to go after Vinicius because it affects him.”

“So it’s he who has to work on his attitude. And don’t misinterpret what I’m saying, he should still take legal action, one thing doesn’t negate the other, but you work on yourself, on turning your back, so that instead of squaring up to people, you walk away, and then it’s one or ten incidents, instead of 50.”

“In the end, the pictures are there, the one who is crying is him. He is the one suffering from this. We’re not doubting his suffering. The one who is facing repercussions regarding his game is him, nobody else.”

“Racism, clearly exists, but Spain isn’t a racist country. You’re going to find a moron wherever you go. This is obvious. When I was 14 at Real Madrid, people said ‘Balboa, die’, and nothing happened. And so what? Am I going to square up to everyone? No, I’m going to score five goals, and go home. That’s it. No more.”

“Vinicius has to take legal action, of course, nobody is saying different, we all agree. Take the action, and the responsible bodies, La Liga, all of the measures they have to. But he, for his wellbeing, for his personal suffering, for his team, needs to work on his attitude. Because if not, it’s not going to stop. The people around him, his camp, the people who live off him, need to make him understand that he has to stop, here, no, here, stop. Because he has all the ability in the world to be the best, to be number one, but he has to stop, because he is harming himself, his teammates and his manager. If they say something, turn your back and score three goals, do like Bellingham does, smile because it pisses them off more.”

Balboa would the following day emit a response to those on social media who had accused him of being a racist, and those who had accused him of not being a Real Madrid fan.

“When there are people who call me racist, it’s all said and done. We live in a society of LITTLE RESPECT and ZERO EDUCATION in which fanaticism dominates over everything.”

“Where SOCIAL NETWORKS are the measuring stick to fit in, or not, in a society that is increasingly exposed to what 4 bored people say at home without an identity and with a false profile.”

“A society of glass in which today you cannot tell or correct a child… and that everyone is responsible for what happens to their children except the parents themselves. I’m probably not politically correct, but I DON’T LIVE TO PLEASE the majority.”