Hugo Duro, the Valencia striker who scored his side’s only goal in the 2-1 loss to Real Madrid, has addressed the controversy surrounding Vinicius Jr.’s behavior during the game.

The Brazilian winger, who was sent off in the 78th minute for pushing Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski, was the focus of criticism following his actions.

The incident occurred when Vinicius shoved Dimitrievski with both hands after a heated exchange. When referee Soto Grado viewed the altercation on the pitchside monitor, he concluded that the act merited a red card.

The Real Madrid player was visibly frustrated by the decision and had to be escorted off the pitch by his teammates. The situation has since sparked wider debate about Vinicius’ behavior on and off the pitch.

Duros interpretation of Vinicius

While reflecting on the game in an interview with El Larguero (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Hugo Duro expressed his disappointment with the Brazilian’s attitude.

He highlighted how Vinicius appeared to provoke the home crowd and Valencia players with unnecessary gestures before his sending off.

Duro opined that such behavior does more harm than good not only to Vinicius himself, but also to his team, which relies heavily on his talent.

“It’s a controversial topic that is neither here nor there for me, but Vinicius should devote himself to playing because he is a great player and does it pretty well.”

“But as advice, I would tell him not to get involved in wars that are not his because I think they will harm him and the team.” he said.

Real Madrid will appeal

However, Real Madrid have rejected objections to the decision to send off their star winger. The club plans to appeal the red card, arguing that the referee did not adequately take Dimitrievski’s role in the confrontation into account.

In Madrid’s view, the Valencia goalkeeper’s actions provoked Vinicius, a detail that they believe should not have been ignored during the review.

This controversy has only fueled the ongoing debate over player behavior and the officiating of high-pressure games.

While Vinicius’ tremendous ability on the field is undeniable, incidents like this underline the importance of maintaining composure to avoid unnecessary distractions that could affect the team’s performance.