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Cadiz defender Fali has hit out at Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr. while defending his tackle on Rodrygo during the two sides' La Liga meeting on Thursday, November 11.
Los Blancos and Cadiz played out a hard-fought encounter with Real Madrid coming out on top with a 2-1 scoreline at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Eder Militao opened the scoring in the 40th minute for the hosts in the 40th minute, before Toni Kroos doubled the advantage with 20 minutes to go. Lucas Perez's 81st-minute strike ensured a nervy finish to the match, but the reigning La Liga champions ultimately came out unscathed.
Fali's challenge on Rodrygo in the second half and Vinicius' subsequent defense of his teammate garnered a lot of attention after the game. The Cadiz defender, while hitting out at Vinicius, revealed what the winger had said to him.
“I gave him a little challenge, but it’s not to hurt Rodrygo. It’s not an elbow. With the image stopped, it seems more than it is. I apologized quickly.
“There are players who are victims on the field. Vinicius told us that we were a second-tier club. In football, we say many things to each other, but there are limits that cannot be exceeded,” Fali said (via Managing Madrid).
He went on to call Rodrygo a 'good boy' but stopped short of saying anything about his Brazilian teammate.
“Just as I say about Rodrygo that he is a good boy, I am not going to say anything about Vinícius. I prefer not to say anything. A club like Real Madrid must control certain attitudes. We have to respect a little more because we are teammates,” the defender further added.
"It's an assault that has no place in football" - Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo on Fali's challenge
Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo hit out at Fali for the challenge, calling it an assault. Here's a video of the incident:
Rodrygo told Los Blancos' official website after the 2-1 win over Cadiz:
“It was a very difficult and important win. We could have put the game to bed but the goal we conceded made us suffer at the end and it was tough. The important thing is the 3 points.
“I think the thing with Fali is not an accident, he did it on purpose. It's a disgrace because he told me afterwards that he didn't do anything. I don't know why the VAR is there. It's an assault that has no place in football".
Real Madrid will head into the 2022 FIFA World Cup-induced break second in La Liga, two points behind leaders Barcelona.
