Vinicius Junior confirms he wants to stay at Real Madrid – ‘I don’t understand the whistles’

Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has admitted that he has been hurt by his own fans whistling him in recent games. For the previous three games at the Bernabeu, Vinicius has been whistled by the crowd, although those faded on Tuesday night after a man of the match performance against AS Monaco.

Speaking after the game, Vinicius explained that he had been deeply affected by the crowd reaction towards him.

“It makes me very sad. I don’t want to be whistled at home, where I feel very comfortable. And in the last few matches, I haven’t felt comfortable because whenever I played badly, whenever I did something wrong, they whistled me. But they have the right. They pay a very expensive ticket for this. I don’t understand it, but I’m here to keep improving and always fighting for this team and for this club that has given me so much,” he told TNT Sports Brasil.

VINI JR. COM EXCLUSIVIDADE! O craque do jogo falou sobre Paquetá no Flamengo, sobre as vaias recebidas no Bernabéu no último final de semana, Seleção Brasileira e muito mais! Confira a entrevista completa da nossa @tatimantovani! pic.twitter.com/LV8Z551BeX

— TNT Sports BR (@TNTSportsBR) January 20, 2026

‘The last year has been difficult for me’ – Vinicius

Many have pointed to Vinicius missing out on the Ballon d’Or in late 2024 as the turning point where his performances began to dip. Vinicius also said he was powerless to stop talk that he had a hand in Xabi Alonso’s exit, but did acknowledge that he has not been playing at the same level over the past year.

“There’s nothing I can do, nothing I can do. The only thing I can do on the pitch is go out there and give it my all. I won’t always be at my technical best, but I’ve always given everything for the team, I’ve always done everything possible to make everyone feel comfortable. When others are lacking goals, I try to provide assists; when I have to defend, I try to defend. Of course, I’m not the best defender on the team; there are other players for that.”

“But the press says what it wants, the fans think and understand that they have to criticise me, but I believe the best way to improve is to come back home and be welcomed by the people here at the Bernabeu with the best fans in the world, as I’ve always said, who demand a lot from the players. I have to be at my best at all times. The last year has been difficult for me because I haven’t been able to play the way I want, but it’s always important to keep going because I want to stay here for a long time.”

Vinicius on staying at Real Madrid

In the background is the matter of his contract. Vinicius has 18 months remaining on his deal, and publicly has maintained a desire to stay at the Bernabeu, despite becoming the pantomime villain of late. He reiterated that desire, and highlighted his strong relationship with President Florentino Perez.

“There’s also a lot of talk about renewing my contract, but I have another year left. We’re very relaxed about it. I trust the president, he trusts me, we have a very good relationship, and we’ll sort things out in due time; we’re in no hurry.”

On Wednesday, it was reported that agent Federico Pena is now in the Spanish capital, and talks for a contract renewal could restart soon. Whether Vinicius had a role in Alonso’s exit or not, it is thought Alonso’s exit as manager may well facilitate negotiations, which have been a stalemate for the past seven months.

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