Opinion – Renata Mendonça: Vinicius Junior’s story is an example of when criticism turns into disrespect

The role of Vinicius Junior in this edition of the Champions League made many remember a remarkable episode in the player’s life: the phase of “Neguebinha”.

In Brazilian football, we have a mania for immediacy. Then a boy of great potential appears at Flamengo’s base, is sold to Real Madrid for 45 million euros before making his professional debut (at 17) and, when he wavers at the first opportunities he has on the field, he becomes a laughing stock. .

And football is so cruel that the “joke” with Vinicius still reached another player. Negueba was another athlete revealed at Flamengo’s base, who emerged in 2010 as a great promise, but did not live up to the expectations created. He suffered with injuries and is now in Criciúma.

Vinicius, also a black player, a speed forward who arrived at the professional already sold to Real as a promise, earned the “nickname” of rival fans. Calling him “Neguebinha” was a way of saying that Vini would be another one to frustrate red-black expectations.

The “joke” also had repercussions in the media. And we sometimes lose sight of the power of words and the impact that these “jokes” can have on a player’s life. Today, Vinicius no longer worries about that because he silenced the critics. But he doesn’t forget what happened.

Lucky for us, he found the strength to deal with it and respond on the pitch, being decisive for Real Madrid with 22 goals and 20 assists this season – and you’ll know what he’s going to do for Brazil in the World Cup. Does anyone doubt? Today, I don’t think so, right?

As a phenomenon that draws crowds and moves billions, football sometimes makes us forget that it is made up of human beings. Criticism, of course, is part of it, but I have been thinking more and more about how we can be more fair and respectful in sports coverage. Because we have the option of leaving the “jokes” with the fans or reverberating and laughing at them along with them.

A recent text by the brilliant ex-player Alex (now coach of the under-20 of São Paulo) in The Players Tribune cites how much being called “Alexotan” throughout his career has affected him.

“It’s ok to discuss my characteristics as a player, ways for me to be more participatory on the field, less irregular. But that was rarely the proposal. The intention was to make fun, to detonate. And I’m not going to lie: it was heavy for me, very heavy.”

Alex had to teach himself to deal with these “jokes”. In training, clubs do not usually offer support to young people to deal with this pressure. Who are they going to talk to in the dorm about their frustrations? “With the walls,” Alex wrote.

I recently heard a statement from Pedrinho, a former player and now a commentator for Grupo Globo, about how the nickname they gave him, “Podrinho”, because of his frequent injuries, contributed to him developing depression and going through one of the most difficult moments of your life.

“I was locked in the bathroom crying without being able to get out of there. I even wondered if I really had rotten blood,” he said.

Teasing is not criticism, it’s disrespect. It’s already heavy when it comes from the crowd and it’s worse when it’s endorsed by us, the press.

It can start in the stands, but it usually doesn’t stop there. It generates laughter in sports programs, becomes a newspaper editorial.

Alex Roberto, former Wall. Hugo Peteca. Andreas Peneira. Rodrinkinho. André Ballad. Aedes Egidio. Maurice Erramos. Douglas Belly of Dog. Zinho Waxing. Cachaçares.

I’ve laughed at many of these nicknames – but now I understand that, in everyday work, respect must prevail. Our laughter can come at the expense of a lot of pain, which we can’t even imagine, from what these players went through.