Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso and Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti say they spoke to Vinicius Junior about the striker’s furious reaction to being substituted in the Clasico win over Barcelona.
The Brazil international reacted irritably when Rodrygo replaced him in the 72nd minute at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on October 26, where he was also booked after an on-field altercation between players after the final whistle.
“I spoke with Vinicius about the incident, about his reaction,” Ancelotti said. “I told him what I thought, that it was a mistake.
“He has apologized and it is a closed case. He is a very important player and he has no problem here, nor at his club, with his coach.”
Asked about Ancelotti’s remarks, Alonso said: “It was important for me that we talked about it on Friday and that it was resolved. These things can happen but we don’t want them to happen again.”
“It’s Vinícius having a tantrum” 🗣️
The Brazilian was not very happy with Xabi Alonso’s decision to replace him at ElClásico 😬
𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 @sbk | 18+ | 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑦 pic.twitter.com/8Jt2p3Pave
– Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) October 26, 2025
Vinicius Junior ‘keeps Brazil boss informed’
Ancelotti named Vinicius Junior in his squad for the friendlies against Senegal on November 15 in London and Tunisia on November 18 in Lille.
“We have a very good relationship with Vinicius,” said Ancelotti, who managed the 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up in Madrid between 2021 and the Italian’s departure at the end of last season.
“When something happens, we keep each other informed. His personal life? I’m not his father or his brother. I just want to be his coach. His personal life is his.”
Vinicius Junior was substituted in the La Liga leaders’ 4-0 home win over Valencia on Saturday and is set to start at Liverpool on Tuesday in their fourth match of the 2025/26 Champions League league stage.
The 25-year-old, who ran down the tunnel before returning to the bench against Barca, played down the incidents in an interview with the club after the match.
📍 Touchdown in Liverpool! pic.twitter.com/x0YSAuBLgS
— Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 3, 2025
Liverpool v Real Madrid ‘a classic’
Alonso won the 2004/05 Champions League at the end of his first season at Liverpool, adding the 2005/06 FA Cup before leaving in 2009 for Real Madrid, where he won every domestic trophy during his five-year stay and was European champion again in 2014.
“It’s a classic of European football, both historic and current,” the former midfielder said of the encounter, adding that former Reds defender Trent Alexander-Arnold could feature.
“It’s a game the fans love to watch. Trent and I have our own history here. It feels good to come back to a place where you were loved so much. But we are here to focus on our own game and get a good result.
“[Liverpool] influenced me a lot. I spent five years with [manager] Rafa Benitez and I learned a lot about elite football.
“It helped me get to where I am now. If you love football, you love playing [at Liverpool]. They were very good years.
“They helped me as a player and as a coach. I still remember a lot of things from that time and they are useful to me today.”
44′ ⏱️ Milan 3-0 Liverpool
60′ ⏱️ Milan 3-3 Liverpool18 years since the miracle of Istanbul 🤯#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/DJILdGjkd3
– UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 25, 2023
Alonso’s penalty ‘changed Liverpool history’
Alonso was inevitably asked about one of the most remarkable matches in history, when Liverpool recovered from a 3-0 half-time deficit to beat Milan on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the 2005 Champions League final.
After Steven Gerrard scored in the 54th minute and Vladimir Smicer added two minutes later, Alonso’s 60th-minute penalty was saved by Dida before the Spain international converted from the rebound.
“Rafa pointed out to me where [Harry] Kewell as a penalty taker,” Alonso recalls. “But when the time came, Kewell wasn’t there. [because of an injury].
“I took it, I missed it, but I scored in the second attempt. And that changed the history of Liverpool.”
How to watch Liverpool vs Madrid: live stream, TV channel
Kick-off on Tuesday will be at 8:00 p.m. GMT (4:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT), with live coverage in the UK on Amazon Prime Video.
A Main video subscription costs £8.99 per month or £95 per year, paid annually, with a half-price offer for fans aged 18-22.
Membership includes unlimited delivery on a huge selection of Amazon items and a range of other benefits such as movies, series, documentaries and photo storage.
Liverpool Champions League fixtures, results 2025/26
Liverpool’s other league opponents include reigning Turkish champions Galatasaray, Dutch champions PSV and Azerbaijani counterparts Qarabag.
Inter reached the Champions League final last season and finished second in Italy, while Marseille were second in France.
Eintracht Frankfurt came third in Germany and owes Hugo Ekitike for 22 goals in all competitions in 2024/25, leading Liverpool to pay them an initial fee of £69 million for the French newcomer in July.
All matches start at 8:00 p.m. GMT / 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT.
Wednesday September 17: Liverpool 3-2 Atleti
Tuesday September 30: Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool
Wednesday October 22: Frankfurt 1-5 Liverpool
Tuesday November 4: Liverpool vs Real Madrid
Wednesday November 26: Liverpool vs PSV
Tuesday December 9: Inter vs Liverpool
Wednesday January 21: Marseille vs Liverpool
Wednesday January 28: Liverpool vs Qarabag
Liverpool squad for the 2025/26 Champions League
Liverpool’s List A Champions League side have been entered through to the round of 16 in February 2026, when clubs can register a maximum of three new players within the existing limit of 25.
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman
Defenders: Joe Gomez, Endo, Virgil Dijk, Ibriga Konate, Milos Kerkez, Connor Bradley, Leoni, Andy Robertson, Jeremima Frimpong
Midfield: Florian Wirtz, Domink Szoboszlai, Alexis MacAllister, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch
Advantages: Alexander Isak, Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike, Rio Numbers
Entries on List B, made up of players born after January 1, 2004 and eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years from their 15th birthday, can also be submitted up to midnight before each match.
Midfielders Stefan Bajcetic and Trey Nyoni as well as striker Jayden Danns are initially on the B list.
