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Real Betis winger Aitor Ruibal says fouling a player like Vinicius is normal.
Real Betis winger Aitor Ruibal has come out to deny claims that he condones the insults directed towards Vinicius; nonetheless, he has reaffirmed a portion of his previous comments in which he stated that it is usual for Vinicius to be fouled regularly.
The 26-year-old had an impressive performance in Real Betis 0-0 draw with Real Madrid at the Benito Villamarin, starting on the right-wing, but he had the responsibility of tracking back and assisting right-back Youssouf Sabaly in handling Vinicius.
Aitor Ruibal on insults Vinicius faces
The player further explained a statement he put out on his Twitter account yesterday, correcting the misconception by publications on his statement on Vinicius.
He explained today, as reported by Relevo, that insults in stadiums have become normalised, even though it should not be so, and although he does not condone it, he believes nothing can be done to avoid it.
"My words are clear. We have normalized, although we shouldn't, insults in stadiums,” he said.
“We can't do anything to avoid it. They are insults that all players receive. I'm not in favour, but in the end, we have to deal with it because it is what it is.”
He went on to praise Vinicius's abilities; however, he claims Vinicius riles up opposition fans with his antics, which spark vitriol, especially when the Brazilian is on away grounds.
“He is an excellent player (Vinicius), but he also interacts a lot with people, he laughs, he looks at us. That provokes, and if you're away from home, the fans are on fire."
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Ruibal on fouling Vinicius
The Betis winger believes it should not be taboo to say fouling Vinicius is a normal thing, as his style of play invites extra attention from opposition defenders.
Ruibal further drew comparisons to his own teammate, Nabil Fekir, who is now sidelined due to injury, as another player for whom fouling has become normal.
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"I don't think it's a bad thing to say that it's normal for Vinicius to get kicked. Well, how do they kick Fekir."
Fekir was the most fouled player in the 2019/20 season in LaLiga, receiving 113 fouls, 43 more than Lionel Messi's 70 that season, according to Marca.
AS stats also reveal that Real Betis are the team that have received the most fouls in LaLiga this season, with 344, 13 more than Valencia in second place and 14 more than Vinicius' Real Madrid in third.
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