Pablo Maffeo, the right back of Mallorca in Spain, has spoken out on a possible clash with Brazilian star Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid, confidently predicting a quick victory.
Ahead of their Supercopa de España semi-final showdown, Maffeo said: “I would knock him out in 10 seconds.” The Argentine defender, who has previously represented his national team, spoke about the strong rivalry that developed between him and the former Flamengo player, following a severe foul committed by Maffeo during a meeting in 2022.
“It would be in a fictional life, but I think it could be the most watched fight in history. I’m sure I would win. I have no doubt I would knock him out in ten seconds,” a- he exclaimed during an interview with Spanish media.
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Following this foul, Vinicius reacted, leading to a heated exchange of insults which continued during the match.
Maffeo also explained how he manages to counter a player as influential as Vinicius, saying: “I try to take him out of his game, and for that I try to infiltrate his mind. The rivalry remains on the field, but it’s something I really enjoy.”
However, he admitted that during their last meeting in August 2024, he approached Vinicius to bury the hatchet. “I found him at a hydration break and said, ‘Let’s put the nonsense behind us. What happened, happened.’ He said everything was fine,” Maffeo said.
Finally, the current Mallorca player addressed the controversy surrounding the abuse Vinicius suffered, saying that “Spain is not a racist country.”
“There are idiots everywhere. He’s affected by it, and I don’t think he provokes the insults. He makes mistakes like the rest of us, but I don’t think he’s playing the race card,” he said. -he concluded.
