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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has said that star forward Vinicius Jr has come to expect racist attacks from fans during his time in Spain. The veteran manager made this admission on the back of repeated attacks against the winger in the past two seasons.
Brazil international Vinicius Jr has been the subject of intense racist attacks in the past 12 months, with the matter coming to a head in May. The 23-year-old forward was racially abused when his side visited the Mestalla to take on Valencia, and he lodged a formal complaint.
Despite repeated complaints and a court hearing for the Mestalla case, the Brazilian star has continued to face racist abuse at stadiums. During his side's clash with Sevilla this season, cameras caught a child racially abusing the star, and he released a statement on social media.
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The press have also had a part to play. Some referred to him as "Pinochius" in reference to the fictional character Pinocchio, whose nose grew longer when he told lies.
In a press conference ahead of his side's meeting with Rayo Vallecano on November 5, Carlo Ancelotti addressed questions regarding the forward's state of mind.
He said:
"He's good. I think that he is unfortunately used to this. He is focused on the game and focused on his work. I don't have anything to say to him in that regard."
The plight of Vinicius Jr at the hands of the racist fans has earned him the sympathy of the football world. Recently, former Real Madrid and Brazil legend Roberto Carlos championed calls for a punishment against the abusers in the Sevilla game after they were caught on camera.
Vinicius Jr struggling to find rhythm in Carlo Ancelotti's new Real Madrid system
The summer exit of Karim Benzema, as he joined Al-Ittihad, spelled the beginning of a new era in the Real Madrid attacking structure. Manager Carlo Ancelotti has shifted from his trusted 4-3-3 to something akin to a 4-4-2, accommodating Jude Bellingham in attack from deep.
This structure has Vinicius Jr as one of the two forwards tasked with holding the ball up to create room for Bellingham. This has seen him perform way below his best, as he is best suited to cutting in from the left onto his favored right foot and causing chaos.
Vinicius has scored just three goals and provided three assists in 11 games across competitions. Carlo Ancelotti believes Vinicius Jr, who signed a new long-term contract this season, is suffering an early-season slump and will be back in form soon. Real Madrid will need their star man firing on all cylinders in the coming weeks if they are to succeed this season.
