Why Vinicius Jr Must Be Protected.
Vincius Jr is a player of flair and brilliance and has become an important member of his national side, Brazil, and his club - Real Madrid. He went into this current season with expectations high after having 42 goal contributions in the previous season and helping his side win La Liga as well as the Champions League (scoring the winner against Liverpool in the final). Rightfully so, going into this season he was one of the players to watch and someone who a defender would have trouble playing against. As mentioned before, his style includes flair and is very direct when he is on the ball - a constant threat to the opposition fullback. Hence it would be right to assume he is the most fouled player in La Liga.
Football is a contact sport and tackles and challenges are expected. However, the levels of bad tackles Vinicius Jr has faced throughout this season have been very worrying, for example in their recent clash against Valencia - Gabriel Paulista was sent off for a ridiculous challenge on Vinicius Jr. The stereotype against South American players, especially Brazilians, is that they are 'divers' or 'go down too easy.' This treatment has been ongoing for Neymar Jr and now Vinicius Jr is subject to this stereotype.
In Neymar Jr's case, he suffered a terrible injury that nearly ended his career as well as his ability to walk so from that point of view I can understand why he goes down easily - mostly in order to protect himself from further harm. His game, as well as Vinicius, has a lot of dribbling elements and these types of players are most likely to get fouled than others.
However, in Vinicius' case, it seems as though opposition teams and fans find his demeanour provocative and insulting. He has been abused for his lack of discipline towards the referee and sometimes short temper when fouled which others seemed to find 'annoying.' But his abuse doesn't stop there as he has made allegations of racial abuse in matches from fans and also a recent horrific incident with Atletico Madrid fans. Therefore, I find it amusing how others tend to question his 'provocations' without looking at why he feels that way - in my opinion, the treatment he has received has been unfair and unjust most times.
Of course, in football emotions tend to run high and Vinicius Jr is sometimes, not always, guilty of escalating situations but this does not allow for him to be treated unfairly by others and the media in Spain. His talent is immeasurable and it'd be a shame if we are to lose a player with his ability to a career-ending injury, which could happen with the tackles and hatred he faces from other teams in La Liga. And as mentioned before, people that call him a 'diver' need to understand the context first. But of course, sometimes Vinicius Jr is capable of making the most of a soft tackle which leads to the frustration of others which is understandable but in most of his cases I am sure he does it out of the protection of himself rather than to provoke others.
Thus, I hope referees take notice of this during games and officiate with fairness to all but also ensure the safety of players such as Vinicius Jr. He is a footballer destined to reach heights many cannot and is someone young wingers can look at to improve their games. Abuse in football is inevitable and unavoidable it is a part of the game that cannot be contained for too long but I am certain Vinicius Jr will to do his talking on the pitch and continue his fine form for Real Madrid.
