“You lost two finals because you’re bad, I won two” - Real Madrid ace Vinicius Jr’s comment at Atletico captain Koke comes to light after heated derby

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. was engaged in a war of words with Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke during the Madrid derby at the Metropolitano Stadium at the weekend (September 29). The exact words spoken during the heated interaction between the Brazilian forward and the Atletico midfielder have now come to light.

The derby at the Spanish capital was hotly contested, which saw play being stopped for 17 minutes in the second half. Eder Militao gave the visitors the lead in the second half and Thibaut Courtois' subsequent celebration resulted in Atletico fans throwing various objects on the ground leading to the referee stopping the game.

The match did restart after the fans had calmed down and the referees had deemed it to be safe to play. The hosts had the last laugh, however, as Angel Correa rounded off the Belgian goalkeeper and tapped the ball into the empty goal in the 95th minute to level the scores.

Earlier though, Koke confronted Vinicius Jr. while he was on the ground after the referee did not blow for a foul on the Brazilian. The Spaniard's comments incensed the Real Madrid forward, who boasted about his achievements and mocked the midfielder's shortcomings.

"You lost two finals, I won two. You lost because you're bad, but I play here in Real Madrid," Vinicius Jr. is alleged to have said to Koke (via Madrid Xtra).

The Real Madrid ace was referring to the two Champions League trophies he has won in his short career so far. Koke, on the other hand, is yet to win the competition despite reaching the final twice.

Incidentally, Atletico Madrid lost to their derby rivals both times, first in 2014 and again in 2016.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti backs Vinicius Jr. to win the Ballon d'Or

Vinicius Jr. was named in the 30-player shortlist for the Ballon d'Or last month. The Brazilian is one of the favorites to win the prestigious individual award along with his teammates Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham as well as Manchester City's Euro-winning midfielder Rodri.

Despite the competition, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is convinced the versatile forward will win the award this year. If he does so, he will become the third Madrid star after Luka Modric and Karim Benzema to win the award in the last six years.

Speaking to the press ahead of the derby at the weekend, Ancelotti talked about his star ward's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or. When asked if he deserves it, the Italian said (via AS):

"I think so [Vinicius Jr. deserving of the Ballon d'Or] because of how efficient he was in the Champions League, scoring in the semis and the Final. I think he’ll win."

The 2024 Ballon d'Or award is set to be announced in a gala ceremony in Paris on Monday, October 28.