Vinicius Jr. found himself at the centre of attention during Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Schalke 04, although it was not his performance that generated the biggest reaction.
The Brazilian forward was repeatedly booed by sections of the Schalke support, despite having no previous history with the German club and never having played at the stadium before.
Every time Vinicius touched the ball, whistles followed. The same happened when Jose Mourinho eventually substituted him during the second half, bringing another hostile reaction from the stands.
Rather than allowing the atmosphere to affect him, however, the Real Madrid star appeared to enjoy the exchange with the home supporters.
Vinicius booed throughout Real Madrid’s win
Vinicius received a hostile reception from the Schalke crowd from the moment he became involved in the game.
The reason behind the reaction was not immediately clear, especially considering the Brazilian had no previous connection with Schalke and had never previously faced the German side at their home ground.
Still, that did not stop sections of the support from booing him every time he was on the ball.
Vinicius responded in his own way. The forward exchanged glances with supporters, smiled in their direction and even blew a kiss towards the stand responsible for the whistles.
The reaction continued until his substitution in the second half, when the home crowd once again made their feelings known.
Deportivo fans had already given Vinicius similar treatment
Vinicius Jr. was targeted by Schalke fans throughout the match. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)
Notably, the Schalke reception was not the first time Vinicius had been booed during Real Madrid’s preparations for the new season.
During the Teresa Herrera Trophy match against Deportivo La Coruña, the Brazilian was also targeted by sections of the home support, with whistles greeting several of his touches at Riazor.
The reaction did not prevent him from continuing his role as one of the main attacking figures in Mourinho’s Real Madrid side.
On top of that, Endrick and Alvaro Carreras were also subjected to whistles during that match, although their situations were connected to incidents involving Deportivo players during the game.