PICTURED: A former Real Madrid coach criticises Vinicius for his attitude on the pitch

Vinicius Jr.'s fight against racism continues to generate divided opinions in the world of football. The latest to speak out on the subject was Vanderlei Luxemburgo, a 72-year-old Brazilian coach with a brief stint at Real Madrid. Asked about the alleged racist persecution against Madrid's '7', the boss made it clear that he does not support his compatriot's conduct on the pitch.

"No, I don't think so. He is the one who provokes it a lot by doing things he shouldn't do," began the experienced Brazilian coach, who was on the bench for almost two decades in 2005 (he managed 45 games, with 28 wins, 7 draws and 10 losses).

Luxembourg is clear: Vinicius provokes his rivals

In this regard, he recalled an incident during the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich. "The opponent (Kimmich) politely returns the ball to him. And Vini throws it back to the ground. He's making fun of the player!" said Luxemburgo about the episode in the match played on May 8 at the Santiago Bernabéu.

He also added: "Then there's Modric, at the same club. The opponent puts the ball in his hands and he throws it in from the side. Vinicius provokes the situation," he said about the episode in a match that ended with a comeback for Madrid at the last minute (2-1).

The Brazilian striker returned to his country this week to play the matches against Venezuela (visitor) and Uruguay (home). Vini had missed the double round of South American qualifiers in October due to injury. Luxemburgo, in addition to Madrid, also had a brief stint with the Seleçao between 1999 and 2000, where he won a title (the Copa América).