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The 24-year-old forward had been widely tipped to secure the prestigious accolade following a stellar season with Los Blancos.
Despite being a favourite, the award went to Manchester City’s midfield dynamo Rodri, who edged Vinicius by just 41 points.
In solidarity with their talisman, Real Madrid boycotted the awards ceremony entirely, a move supported by players, staff, and management.
Dorival Junior has now added his voice to the growing support for Vinicius.
Speaking at a press conference, he described the decision as a misjudgment.
“There was a mistake by those who evaluated. Individually speaking, he was the most important, decisive, and perhaps lethal player of the season,” the Brazil boss remarked, according to MundoDeportivo.
He went further, asserting that, in his view, the Real Madrid star was the rightful winner of the award. “The real winner is Vinicius,” Dorival declared.
The manager also praised the forward for earning widespread admiration in his home country.
“His greatest achievement is to have earned the respect of the Brazilian people,” Dorival added.
Highlighting Vinicius’ resilience, he described him as a player who “reinvents himself at all times” and has overcome significant challenges without losing his influence on the pitch.
Vinicius, however, endured a frustrating evening in Brazil’s latest World Cup qualifier, missing a second-half penalty as the Seleção were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela.
The result sees Brazil slip to third in the standings, trailing leaders Argentina and second-placed Colombia.
