Alea Iacta Est Pt. I: 15 Oct. 2026

Writing for Managing Madrid, Juninho strongly criticized Vinicius Junior's performances for Real Madrid, arguing that there are currently no sporting reasons to justify starting the forward. The author evaluated the player's recent form harshly, noting dropped dribbling success, poor passing, and a perceived lack of defensive effort on the left wing.

The piece further argued that the club should consider alternative attacking options such as Endrick, Diomande, Brahim Diaz, and Arda Guler. The writer also raised concerns over Vinicius Jr.'s reaction to being substituted in the 58th minute, while discussing broader structural issues under manager Jose Mourinho and club president Florentino Perez.