Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu may have strengthened Los Blancos’ control at the top, but the fallout from Sunday’s Clásico continues to stir discussion.

This time, it was former Spain and Real Madrid goalkeeper Santiago Cañizares who weighed in—not on tactics, not on refereeing, but on behaviour.

Speaking on Tiempo de Juego, Cañizares took aim at two of the game’s headline talents: Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Júnior, arguing that their attitudes overshadowed the football itself.

He said: “We’ve talked a lot about football, but I’m going to focus on the display in narcissism shown by two of their stars, Lamine Yamal before the match and Vinicius during the match. They do nothing good for either of their teams.”
In a Clásico loaded with intensity, emotion and pressure, moments of immaturity can quickly take centre stage—and Cañizares believes this is exactly what happened.

While Real Madrid walked away with the points, the former keeper pointed out that neither club appears willing to rein in their brightest young stars.

He said: “They should be reprimanded, but nobody at their clubs is capable of saying anything, which leaves everything very exposed. Less narcissism and more humility for these two players.”

It’s a reminder of something football often forgets: no matter how talented a player is, they are still part of a collective. According to Cañizares, both Yamal and Vinicius are being allowed to move unchecked because of their ability.

He said: “The problem is that when a player is good, nobody tells them anything.”

Lamine Yamal came into the match surrounded by headlines—some created by his own pre-Clásico statements. Cañizares didn’t hesitate to side with Dani Carvajal, who confrontingly defended the club’s honour on the pitch:
On Yamal specifically, he supported Dani Carvajal’s reaction, given the Rocafonda-born forward’s controversial pre-match comments.

For Cañizares, the issue was not Yamal’s age or talent—it was the unnecessary attempt to escalate things before a ball was even kicked.

Vinicius Júnior remains one of the most electrifying players in world football—able to transform matches, destabilise defences and inspire the Bernabéu with pure brilliance. But Cañizares insists that his emotional edge still cuts both ways: “He doesn’t know how to win, but he also doesn’t know how to lose. He did a couple of things during the game, but overall, both players cause more problems than advantages.”