The reason why Vinicius Jr decided to wear the number 20 shirt for Real Madrid has been revealed.
Vinicius joined the Spanish La Liga giants in 2018 at the age of 18 after impressing with Brazilian side Flamengo.
After moving to Madrid for 46 million euros, Vinicius failed to live up to expectations when he struggled during his first season with Los Blancos.
However, those early disappointments were put aside as he is now one of the best players in world football.
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As one of Madrid's best players, many expected him to be handed some more iconic jerseys, but he did explain why he chose to wear the number 20 shirt. The winger said, according to Real Madrid Unofficial:
"The number 20 has brought me luck. At Flamengo, I was very happy and debuted in the number 20 shirt.
"My first professional matches were with this shirt number. This season I have a chance to change and feel more comfortable. As for the name, it's easier now because people call it anyway. I'm Vini."
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Furthermore, some of the most iconic numbers like '7', '9' and '11' currently belong to Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio.
However, with Benzema set to leave and Asensio tipped to leave, Vinicius could well take on one of next season's iconic destinies. Image credits:
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This season, Vinicius has been the victim of a number of racist attacks from rival fans, most recently against Valencia.
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Speaking about the incident, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said:
"I don't want to talk about football, I want to talk about what happened here.
"We have a problem. La Liga has a problem. We have to stop this game. Any game, I would say the same if we win 3-0. I've never seen an entire stadium racist and scream 'monkey, monkey, monkey'.
He added:
"I think it's embarrassing to think about replacing a player because of the racist atmosphere.
"I should get rid of players if they don't play well or have to rest, but never because they're racially slandered. What happened today, I've seen at other times, but not quite. so. Advertisement
“The Spanish league has a problem. The problem is not Vinícius. He is the victim.
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