Vinícius: “I hope to be at Real Madrid for a long time, like Marcelo, Modrić, Benzema and Kroos”

The Champions League is back and that means UEFA player press conferences are back too, with Vinícius speaking in the first one of the season ahead of Tuesday’s game against Celtic. The Brazilian started off the press conference at Celtic Park by speaking about the Scottish champions, stating: “It’s a good team with fans who make a lot of noise here. We’ve started watching their matches and saw they won the last one 4-0 in a big derby. They don’t stop running. I didn’t see too much of that game, to be honest, and I’ll need to watch more before tomorrow. We’ll try to play our game and hopefully they have to adapt to us. It’s my first time playing here and I’m looking forward to it. I love these kinds of matches in full stadiums. All Real Madrid players love that.”

Discussing the defence of the Champions League title, after scoring the winning goal in last year’s final, he added: “We’re happy to have won the last Champions League, but we want to win another one and we feel good about it. The coach told us that we always have to defend our titles.”

Vinícius on whether he is a top five player in the world

Asked if he now considers himself a top five player in the world, a claim Karim Benzema has made on several occasions, Vinícius said: “I leave that for other people to discuss. I’m calm and just always trying to give my best. If I do that, I’m sure I can do great things this season too. I’d like to be one of the best players and for many years. Obviously I always want to score more goals and provide more assists, but the most important thing is to play well for the team and to keep winning. I’m 22 years old and I’m keen to keep evolving at this club, where they give me everything and all the confidence to play good football for our fans.”

Vinícius on overcoming the memes

Just a couple of seasons ago, Vinícius was still mocked by many in Spain for his poor finishing and he was the subject of many memes. Asked about this and overcoming that, he replied: “I always prefer to listen to the people who love me and who are with me every day. The others will say I’m playing bad when I’m playing bad and that I’m good when I’m good. But, I don’t mind.”

Vinícius on his life in Madrid

Earlier on Monday, it was announced that Vinícius has obtained Spanish citizenship and he was asked about his life in Spain and if he is happy. He said: “The club and the fans and the people in the city have always helped me a lot. I arrived aged 18 and had only just started my career. Now I’m 22 years old and I love being in Madrid. My family too, as they have everything they need to live well. I want to be here for a long time, like Marcelo, Modrić, Benzema, Kroos.”