Former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has launched a surprising criticism of Vinicius Jr following the Brazilian’s performance in Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw against Osasuna.

Speaking to Ziggo Sport, Van der Vaart expressed his frustration with the winger’s style of play, stating:

“Vinicius annoys me to death. It’s a lot of show, but he doesn’t reach the level of Neymar, Messi, or Ronaldo, though he does have the potential.”

Despite his criticism, the Dutchman acknowledged Vinicius’ impressive individual season and his worthiness of football’s most prestigious individual prize:

“I do think he deserved the Ballon d’Or because he had a fantastic year. But the stuff we see in this clip, we see it way too much.”

Van der Vaart also touched on the controversies surrounding Vinicius, particularly his reactions to crowd hostility, adding:

“What follows is that he will get whistled, and then he will start crying about racism, and we all hate racism, but he’s kind of an actor.”

Vinicius, who has been a key figure for Los Blancos this season with 16 goals and 12 assists in 31 matches, is unlikely to be fazed by these remarks. The Brazilian remains focused on delivering for Real Madrid as they push for more success in both La Liga and the Champions League.