Real Madrid did manage to make their way to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, beating Leganés 3-2, but the talking point of the night was the on-field argument between Luka Modric and Vinicius Jr. The Croatian midfielder was not pleased with the defensive effort of the Brazilian and asked for more commitment.
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The incident went viral in a matter of minutes, feeding into the speculations of tensions within the squad. After all, this was a club legend confronting one of the team's biggest stars. Afterwards, Modric played down the situation, and Ancelotti made sure to back his veteran midfielder.
At any rate, that was the means of preventing escalation, but given the circumstances, it certainly provides the impression that not all things are going entirely as they ought to be within the Madrid dressing room.
Tension flare-up moment
With the score tied at 2-1 in favor of Real Madrid, Leganés found an equalizer that left the game wide open. That's when Modric lost his cool with Vini Jr. for failing to track back on a play that resulted in a corner for the opposition.
Wearing the captain's armband, Modric asserted his leadership right then and there-no sugarcoating, no hesitation. But Vini wasn't about to back down, responding with the same intensity. Nearby, Federico Valverde took up the cause with Modric in the kerfuffle. The temperature rose, but that was as far as it went shortly after the captain brushed it off and refocused on the corner kick.
The on-field flashpoint lasted just a fleeting moment, but the pictures whirled around the world as the debate began. Some viewed it as instinctive-a natural moment of leadership, a veteran demanding more commitment. Others took it as a portent of generational friction within the squad.
In his post-game press conference, head coach Carlo Ancelotti didn't mince words as he was asked about the exchange.
"If Modric said something, then he's right," the coach said, making crystal clear where his loyalty lies.
It sounds like a simple remark, but it carries much weight. Modric, still an important player but one whose pitch time has been reduced this season, has his leadership role evolving within the group.
Modric plays it down
Despite the heated moment and the buzz in the media, Modric was quick to brush off the incident as nothing major.
"How could I be angry with Vini? Things like this are part of soccer. You are seeing things there that shouldn't even be seen."
Typical from an experienced player: Closing controversy before it gets big.
The win averted a bigger crisis
The Modrić-Vini incident could have blown out of all proportions if Real Madrid had slipped up in this game. However, the team won their semi-final berth in most dramatic fashion, with Gonzalo García scoring a last-second winner, so attention fell right back onto the victory.
Before that, Endrick and Rodrygo had put Madrid ahead, but Juan Cruz scored in rapid succession to leave everyone in shock as it was all square. The match then became nervy with extra time seemingly around the corner until new signing García sealed the deal deep into stoppage time.