Vinicius, the scorer who wanted to sell Zidane

The night Vinicius Jr. entered the noblest zone of the European legend of Real Madrid, in the stands of the stadium sat the person who, having more power, had doubted him the most.

Zinedine Zidane went to the Stade de France dressed in a white hooded jacket and accompanied by his wife, Veronique, and his sons Luca and Theo.

The Champions League final was one of the sporting stops for the Frenchman on a weekend that had taken him to Roland Garros the day before and this Sunday, to Monaco, to Formula 1. From the seat of his VIP box in Saint- Denis saw how a footballer he had wanted to sell won a European Cup with his goal.

Zidane and Vinicius never tuned in to the same frequency.

The Frenchman did not believe that the footballer could contribute something that would meet his expectations, and he preferred Eden Hazard, despite the fact that the Belgian was always in very poor physical condition.

The coach's discomfort with the Brazilian's understanding problems of some concepts of the game that he sees as natural led to a lack of confidence in the footballer, and to Vinicius's bewilderment and discouragement.

The coach came to propose to the club directors that they get rid of the player, but in the offices they were always convinced that he would explode and ruled out the option.

For his part, Vinicius always wanted to stay in Madrid, although during some of the worst-tuned streaks his people wondered if it would not be better to get him out of there, but they never made a move, despite the insistence, for example, of Paris Saint Germain.

Marcelo raises the Fourteenth in the Cibeles.

Louis Sevillano

Real Madrid players pose for a family photo during the celebrations at the Bernabéu.

VINCENT WEST (REUTERS)

Real Madrid players follow the fireworks during the celebration at the Bernabéu.

OSCAR DEL POZO (AFP)

Carlo Ancelotti greets the fans who have come to the Santiago Bernabeu to celebrate Real Madrid's triumph in the Champions League. OSCAR DEL POZO (AFP)

The Real Madrid players celebrate the white club's fourteenth European Cup on the pitch at the Bernabeu.

VINCENT WEST (REUTERS)

The figure of Karim Benzema on a giant screen, during the celebration of Real Madrid's fourteenth Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu. OSCAR DEL POZO (AFP)

Marcelo kisses the statue of Cibeles.

GABRIEL BOUYS (AFP)

The Real Madrid bus, with the winners of the Decimocuarta, heads towards Cibeles.

Luis Sevillano (THE COUNTRY)

The Real Madrid bus arrives at Plaza de la Cibeles.

Luis Sevillano (THE COUNTRY)

The Real Madrid players upon their arrival by bus at Plaza de Cibeles to celebrate with the fans their victory in the Champions League final. Fernando Villar (EFE)

The Real Madrid players arrive at the Plaza de Cibeles to celebrate the fourteenth Champions League. Manu Fernandez (AP)

The white team arrives in Cibeles, after visiting the Almudena Cathedral and the headquarters of the Community and the City Council. Manu Fernandez (AP)

The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, raises a replica of the European Cup during the reception at the City Hall.

Fernando Villar (EFE)

The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, after receiving a shirt with her name from Real Madrid captain Marcelo Vieira. Luca Piergiovanni (EFE)

The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, raises the mini-replica of the European Cup that the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, has just given her.

Luca Piergiovanni (EFE)

Carlo Ancelotti greets the fans from the balcony of the Puerta del Sol, in the presence, among others, of the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso.

OSCAR DEL POZO (AFP)

Marcelo and Karim Benzema, captains of Real Madrid, are received by the Archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro (second left), at the gates of the Almudena Cathedral.

Rodrigo Jimenez (EFE)

Carlo Ancelotti jokes with the players, Jesús Vallejo, Dani Ceballos and Dani Carvajal at the gates of the Almudena Cathedral.

VINCENT WEST (REUTERS)

Real Madrid fans await the team in the Plaza de la Cibeles. Luis Sevillano (EL PAÍS)

Real Madrid fans lean out of the fences of the Puerta del Sol works. OSCAR DEL POZO (AFP)

Real Madrid fans await the team's arrival at Cibeles.

Luis Sevillano (THE COUNTRY)

Back then, in the raw season, the Brazilian already kissed the shield every time he scored, which was much less often than now.

Zidane's disinterest and the disregard of social networks were mixed, but Vinicius has always enjoyed an ironclad security.

On bad days, he kept trying over and over again to break defenses.

And on good days, like Saturday, which ended with a Champions League final, that confidence helped him face the challenge calmly.

The Brazilian spent most of his free time on Saturday sleeping, while some colleagues, such as Rodrygo, entertained themselves playing poker in the bucolic and secluded Auberge du Jeu de Paume, the concentration hotel in Chantilly, almost an hour north of Paris.

He dozed and answered good luck texts:

He was not affected by the delay in the start of the final due to the incidents around the stadium.

His goal, the goal worth a European Cup, sums up his level of confidence and the progression of his game.

The play begins with a wink at Klopp and a handshake with the Liverpool manager.

At that moment, the ball had gone out and Mendy was about to serve on that same left wing a few meters back.

Then a move begins in which Kroos receives, who returns to Mendy, who gives it back to Militão... Meanwhile, Vinicius has forgotten the smiles with Klopp and follows the movement of the ball at random.

Carvajal, Casemiro, Modric, Carvajal, Casemiro and Valverde running.

So, the Brazilian turns on.

“I have seen that Fede was going to shoot, that he could pass the ball there, and there he was.

It was written.

He already knew that the ball could go there.

In training I was always there, "he said.

One shot, one goal.

Clinician like Zidane had not imagined it.

Talks with @Benzema, a premonitory greeting with Jürgen Klopp... the match of @vinijr.

#LaCasaDelFútbol pic.twitter.com/jeBpMmuDWr

– Soccer in Movistar Plus + (@MovistarFutbol) May 28, 2022

He wrote it down very close to the place in the background where his relatives and members of his team were located, who celebrated him in tears while he kissed the shield.

They saw in that moment the culmination of everything he has worked for and they have worked with him, and the moment was also an escape valve for the pressure and suffering they had shared, especially in the toughest times of memes.

The family expedition arrived at the house of La Moraleja this Sunday at four in the morning, and they waited for the footballer until eight.

There was some small talk, some slept a little and then shared a barbecue in the garden.

It was the ideal landscape for Vinicius, who always wants his house full of friends and family.

He was with them until mid-afternoon when he had to join the long Champions League celebration for Madrid that Madrid won with his goal.

Today he will go to Korea, with the Brazilian team, while his agent, Fred Pena, finishes closing the extension of his contract with Madrid, a negotiation of which, according to sources close to the talks, the footballer does not have too much detail , as he barely has it from his current salary.

But he trusts, and he knows that he wants to stay, once the idea of ​​​​selling him from Zidane is far behind him.

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