During Thursday night’s intense Super Cup match at the Bernabeu, where Real Madrid won 3-0, Vinicius Jr. rekindled his long-running rivalry with Pablo Maffeo of Mallorca. The two players had previously battled during the 2021–22 season following a strong challenge on Vinicius by Maffeo. Despite appearing to have made up, emotions erupted once more throughout this interaction.
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Vinicius raised his hand at Maffeo after he aggressively man-marked him ten minutes into the game, causing the defender to theatrically fall to the ground in an attempt to draw a foul. Real Madrid’s substitutes and Jude Bellingham objected to what they saw as a dive and urged referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea to intervene. The referee talked to both players, but in the end, he allowed play to continue.
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According to reports, Vinicius cautioned Maffeo about his antics as the teams left for halftime. Davide Ancelotti, the assistant coach of Real Madrid, tried to negotiate, but the conflict remained. Vinicius was seen on tape mocking Maffeo after Jude Bellingham’s goal in the 63rd minute. He repeatedly called him “terrible” in Spanish and told him to “go back home.”
![Sceny w Superpucharze Hiszpanii! Vinicius i Maffeo skaczą sobie do gardeł [WIDEO]](https://admin-06.meczyki.pl/images/stage/phpefmvui_2)
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Later, Vinicius replaced Brahim Diaz, but the tensions persisted after the game when Ancelotti held back Raul Ascencio to save him from getting a late booking.
In a podcast interview prior to the fight, Maffeo had caused controversy by asserting that he would confidently take on Vinicius in a boxing ring, saying, “I think I’d knock him out in ten seconds.” In spite of their rivalry, Maffeo has openly backed Vinicius in his battle against racism in Spanish football, admitting that the racist actions against Vinicius are unacceptable.
Real Madrid’s triumph in the Supercopa semi-final sets up another El Clasico matchup with Barcelona, their bitter rivals, in Saudi Arabia on Sunday after Barcelona defeated Athletic Club.