Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said it would be "difficult" to be Vinicius Junior after the Brazilian winger was sent off during their La Liga match against Valencia.
Vinicius received a red card for pushing goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski in the back of the neck after a confrontation between the two players. The incident occurred during Madrid's 2-1 win on Friday.
Ancelotti sympathised with Vinicius, who faced mockery from Valencia fans at the Mestalla stadium. The winger had previously confronted racial abuse at the same venue in 2022.
"I think it is difficult to be Vinicius," Ancelotti told reporters. "To bear everything that has happened, the insults, everything, it is not so simple."
Ancelotti added that Vinicius felt sad about the red card, apologised, and aimed to focus on the future.
Vinicius, who has suffered racial abuse at several stadiums in Spain, often faced criticism from fans for his on-field behaviour. The 24-year-old regularly complained to officials and occasionally responded to fans who jeered him.
Ancelotti praised Vinicius for improving his attitude and described him as the best player in the world despite the controversies surrounding him.
"I think he has improved his attitude a lot, and he can keep improving, but nobody is perfect," said Ancelotti. "He has done so much work on that."
Vinicius awaited a decision on a potential ban after the red card, which would be determined next week. He remained available for Madrid’s Copa del Rey clash against Deportivo Minera on Monday.
Ancelotti expressed confidence that the red card should have only resulted in a yellow and hoped Vinicius would avoid suspension.
League leaders and defending champions Madrid prepared to face Mallorca in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final on Thursday in Saudi Arabia.
