After Real Madrid’s 2-0 loss to Barcelona in El Clasico, Vinicius Jr. made a point of congratulating several Barcelona players on their La Liga title win. The Brazilian approached Lamine Yamal, Pedri Gonzalez, Ferran Torres, Ronald Araujo, and Raphinha after the final whistle at Camp Nou, displaying sportsmanship despite the tense atmosphere during the match. He even exchanged jokes with Raphinha and embraced Barcelona coach Hansi Flick as he left the pitch, moving past the earlier skirmishes.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe has once again stirred controversy among Real Madrid supporters. The French striker posted a photo on Instagram during the Clasico defeat with the caption “Hala Madrid,” which many fans deemed provocative and inappropriate given the team’s difficult situation. This came after recent criticism over his trip to Italy while recovering from an injury. In an attempt to appease the fans, Mbappe is pushing to return quickly for the final three matches of the season, having missed the Clasico due to a muscle injury sustained in training. He continues his rehabilitation program hoping to be available against Real Oviedo.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez held a meeting with club directors on Monday at Valdebebas to discuss several sensitive issues, including the future of the coaching staff after the Clasico defeat. Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly the top candidate to take over the team, as the board seeks to bring stability to the dressing room.
In tennis, Italian Jannik Sinner cruised past Australian Alexei Popyrin in the Rome Masters round of 16, winning 6-2, 6-0 in just over an hour. Russian Andrey Rublev also advanced after defeating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 6-4 to reach the same stage. Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka continues to dominate the world rankings, maintaining her position at the top.