Vinicius Junior admits Real Madrid lack dressing room leaders after Tchouameni-Valverde clash

Vinicius Junior has conceded that Real Madrid’s playing group does not yet possess the leadership qualities needed to manage internal tensions, following a turbulent 2025-26 season that included a physical confrontation between Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde. The Brazilian, speaking to Caze TV in comments reported by Diario AS, said the squad is in the middle of a generational transition and must learn from its mistakes.

“We don’t have Nacho, Modric or Kroos, and Carvajal was injured,” Vinicius said. “They gave a lot of experience to the team. Now I or Fede have a lot of experience on the pitch, but not in the dressing room. We don’t have enough experience to carry that baggage — we have to keep learning.”

Vinicius is part of Real Madrid’s captaincy group but was candid about the limitations that come with his current standing. The departures of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Nacho Fernandez, combined with Dani Carvajal’s long-term injury, have stripped the squad of figures who historically absorbed pressure and maintained cohesion behind the scenes. The fight between Tchouameni and Valverde, which became public knowledge earlier this month, underlined how fragile that internal environment has become.

“This season we have learned a lot about the dressing room,” he added. “Next season we will be a better dressing room, more united, better as a team. We are experiencing a change of cycle where we have to change our role to help. Sometimes it’s good to see what you had and understand that it’s not easy to win everything we’ve won. I got used to winning, I got used to bad habits. People are waiting for us to fail and we have done it two years in a row. We can’t fail anymore.”

Vinicius also addressed speculation over his relationship with Kylian Mbappe, firmly dismissing suggestions that the two forwards are at odds. The pair have faced scrutiny over their on-pitch dynamic after a season in which Real Madrid failed to win major silverware.

“I’ve always had a good relationship with Mbappé, also off the pitch,” Vinicius said. “I always sent him a lot of messages to come to Real Madrid. We haven’t been able to play as well as we want and win titles yet, but we can reverse that situation. He’s a good person, he always defends me in interviews or on the pitch, like against Benfica. I would defend him too. He is a legendary player who is going to mark an era at Real Madrid.”

The comments paint a picture of a club in genuine transition, aware of its own shortcomings and under pressure to restore the winning culture that defined the Modric-Kroos era.