There’s a long and glorious history of the greats in life using failure, rejection and criticism to spur them on to heights that, perhaps, they wouldn’t have achieved without facing what they considered to be gross unfairness. The question now is whether Vinícius Júnior is about to join the ranks of those who suffered “the slings and arrows of life’s outrageous fortunes” and retorted, defiantly, with: “Is that really all you’ve got?”
The fascination, after his and Real Madrid’s furious reaction to last week’s Ballon d’Or snub, is augmented by the fact that other people, no matter how talented, take slights, put-downs and setbacks personally, allow adversity to corrode their focus and allow the permanent chip on their shoulder to clip their ability to soar. Is that what the Brazilian is made of instead?
A quick reminder of the context here: Madrid’s star player was reportedly furious at not having placed first in the Ballon d’Or voting, having thought he would win outright and having prepared extravagant fiestas to celebrate his taking of the throne. Also, Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez, cancelled the club’s attendance at last week’s Paris gala and subsequently, he, Vinícius, and the entire staff of the European and Spanish champions came under extreme criticism for what was considered “crybaby” behaviour.
Vinicius swiftly used social media to proclaim: “I’ll do 10 times more if I have to. They’re not ready.” A post viewed over 128 million times! Now, if he’s preparing to inflict a tempest of brilliance on Madrid’s rivals to “show” those who have done him “an injustice,” it’s worth reflecting on how just such circumstances have had a catalytic impact on a few high-achievers in these situations.
The Beatles were famously rejected by DECCA studios, thought of as derivative and nothing special, before becoming the greatest recording artists in history. Fred Astaire, 37 years after his death, is still regarded as one of Hollywood’s all-time greats, but when he was first assessed by MGM studios, their verdict was “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Slightly bald. Not handsome. Can dance a little.”
The list goes on. Michael Jordan being cut by the Emsley A. Laney High School team for being too small didn’t slow him down from becoming one of the greatest basketball players of all time. David Beckham, who was hung out to dry by England manager Glenn Hoddle after the 1998 World Cup, thus unfairly becoming the country’s No. 1 villain, only used that thorn in his side to produce brilliance the next season and inspire Manchester United to the Treble.
Remember Lionel Messi? Perhaps he was always destined to achieve preternatural greatness, but he still had to suffer the ignominy of being told by one of Barcelona’s directors that he was only going to be the size to make him a good table-footballer — not much more.
Maybe you feel that to put Vinicius’ perceived slap in the face in this category is an exaggeration? That’s fine for you, but let me assure you it’s precisely how angry and hurt the proud, touchy Brazilian feels.
The question, with AC Milan in town on Champions League duty this week, is: how ready is he to channel his fury and direct it towards still more superlative performances?
It’s a pertinent question, not because his character, resourcefulness or competitive aggression are really in question. These personality traits are partly what have led him to soar when, initially, manager Zinedine Zidane didn’t much fancy him in Real Madrid’s first team, or played him on the right and when the media were obsessed with Vinicius’ inability to keep a calm head when trying to finish goal chances. These tenets were also central to the way in which he reacted (you remember this?) when microphones caught Karim Benzema tearing into Vinicius while muttering angrily to teammate Ferland Mendy in Mönchengladbach on a torrid Champions League night.
To have a man that you admire, and who’s one of the team leaders, telling his fellow Frenchman: “Don’t give the ball to Vinicius … it’s like he’s playing for the other team” must have felt devastating. Yet within a matter of weeks, Vinicius was delivering assists for Benzema, their relationship was wholly repaired, and they went on to thrive as a prolific attacking duo. Vitriol from a trusted teammate became a trampoline to greatness; it’s downright impressive. But, sometimes, even the most exceptional can allow these types of potholes in their life to drive them down a bad route.