Real Madrid is in an image crisis after the controversial scene of the 2024 Ballon d'Or, when coach José Mourinho crossed the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium at full speed to celebrate a goal by Vinicius Jr. against Villarreal. The match ended with the goal being disallowed due to a foul, which provoked the anger of the players and Mourinho himself, generating an episode that has been classified as a reflection of the “ridiculousness” that the club seems to be experiencing.
The incident occurred against a backdrop of growing frustration among the club's fans and management. President Florentino Pérez, who decided not to attend the Ballon d'Or gala, has been criticized for his lack of presence at key moments. The annulment of the goal and the subsequent sanction that prevents Vinicius from playing at the Camp Nou have been interpreted as a symptom of the lack of coherence in the team's sporting strategy, which is unable to find a playing pattern that satisfies its followers.
At the scene, the referee annulled Vinicius' goal and showed a red card to a Villarreal player, which caused Mourinho's reaction and tension between the white players. The videos of the episode, which include Vinicius pulling Saliba's hair and Mourinho's response, have been the subject of analysis by the media and fans, who see in them the expression of the club's accumulated anger at the domination of FC Barcelona in the last two decades.
Real Madrid, despite having won more Champions Leagues than Barça, seems to have failed to captivate the global public with its triumphs. The recent title in Rome was described as “agonizing” and is seen as an attempt to avert a crisis that some say is already brewing. The club's narrative, which compares Cristiano Ronaldo to Messi and maintains that the referees are against him, has been criticized for its lack of objectivity and for the repetition of slogans without question.
Regarding the sanction against Vinicius, the club has not shown contrition and continues to defend the position that the case of Negreira, a player involved in a controversy, is relevant to its history. However, the lack of transparency in the management of payments and the relationship with third parties has raised suspicions about the integrity of the club's decisions. Mourinho's future and the possibility of him starring in similar scenes again at the Bernabéu remain uncertain, while the club seeks to stabilize its image and performance in the competition.