Girona manager Michel Sanchez has heaped praise on Vinicius Junior, despite the fact Real Madrid were beaten 4-2 by his side in a humbling result.
Vinicius was at the heart of everything good for Los Blancos, scoring and assisting in the match, all of which he managed in spite of disgraceful racial abuse.
Speaking after the match, Michel told Marca that there were few other players like Vinicius in terms of his capacity to attack defenders.
“When Vinicius saw the yellow card I told Arnau that he was not going to disconnect. I told Vinicius that we needed to foul him so many times because he is so good.”
“He never disconnects, although his gestures may seem like he is, but Vinicius is still focused on the game. He does not stop challenging you, he does not stop launching into runs. I don’t know how much effort he puts into a match. He makes 200 runs and efforts during the match. He obligates you [to be vigilant] the whole match.”
The Brazilian also criticised the referee after the match on Twitter, and it has been a crusade of his that he deserves more protection from officials all season. Vinicius is the most-fouled player in Europe’s big five leagues, and has received rough treatment from defenders all season. Some would refer to Michel’s complement as a representation of the law of footballing nature – players like Ronaldinho, Neymar Junior, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are always fouled more often precisely for the reason that they are so effective.
