The reason behind Vinicius Jr’s decision to wear the number 20 shirt for Real Madrid has been revealed.
Vinicius joined the Spanish La Liga giants back in 2018 as an 18-year-old after impressing at Brazilian side Flamengo.
On the back of his €46 million move to Madrid, Vinicius failed to live up to the expectations as he struggled during his first season playing for Los Blancos.
However, those early disappointments have been swept away as he is now one of the best players in world football.
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As one of Madrid’s top players, many expected him to be awarded a more iconic shirt number but he has previously explained why he chose to wear the number 20.
The winger said, as per Real Madrid Unofficial: “Number 20 has brought me good luck. In Flamengo, I was very happy, and I made my debut wearing number 20.
“My first games in professional football were with this number, and this season I had the opportunity to change, and I feel more comfortable. About the name, now it’s easier because everyone calls me Vini anyway.”
In addition, some of the most iconic numbers such as the ‘7’, ‘9’ and ‘11’ are currently occupied by Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio respectively.
However, with Benzema set to leave and Asensio linked with a move away, Vinicius could well take over one of the iconic numbers for next season.
This season, Vinicius has been on the end of a number of racist attacks from rivals fans, most recently against Valencia.
Speaking about the incidents, Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said: “I don't want to talk about football, I want to about what happened here.
“We have a problem. La Liga has a problem. We need to stop this game. Any game. I would say the same thing if we were winning 3-0. I have never seen a whole stadium being racist and shouting 'monkey, monkey, monkey.’”
He added: “I think it’s bad that I even had to think about substituting off a player because the atmosphere was racist.
“I should be taking players off if they don’t play well or for rest, but never because they were the subject of racist abuse. What happened today I have seen other times, but not quite like this.
“The Spanish league has a problem. The problem isn’t Vinícius. He is the victim.”
Topics: Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid, Football
Marcus Chan