The odd tweet was directed at Real Madrid suggesting they might be doping their players, after various members of their squad were seen applying a cream to their shirts and sniffing it during games. Aside from the health benefits, the more likely conclusion is someone within the team is a fan of Patrick Vieira.
The iconic former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder was famous for applying Vick’s Vaporub to the chest of his shirt ahead of games, something which became a trademark of his in time. The cream is used to unblock nasal congestion with a strong-smelling substance with a high menthol and eucalyptus content.
Vinicius Junior channeling Patrick Vieira?pic.twitter.com/l7elyi5xUH
— Football España (@footballespana_) May 17, 2023
Recently various members of the Real Madrid team have been seen using Vaporub, including Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric and David Alaba. The cynic might suggest that Marca, who highlighted the trend, might have used those tweets as an opportunity to exlpain what they were doing to those unaware.
They note that Arsene Wenger recently remembered that some thought it was ilegal when Vieira started using it, but far from it. Such was Vieira’s popularity that kids across the United Kingdom could be seen on football pitches with the Vaporub on their shirts too – around the same time as Alaba would have been growing up.
