Rivaldo criticised Zidane's punishment of Vinicius: "It doesn't have to be resolved like that"

Rivaldo has a regular column with 'Betfair' where he analyses some aspects of current football news. One of his most striking topics was his assessment of how Zidane is treating Vinicius at Real Madrid. He also gave his opinion on Ronald Koeman's Barcelona.

"I read this week that it could be a punishment because Vinicius is reported to have looked at a mobile phone during a talk by Zidane. These things don't have to be solved like that, leaving a footballer out, because then you're hurting your own team and Zidane himself. It would mean putting a footballer away who could be crucial in many games... That is usually solved by a fine," wrote the legend.

"I don't know what is behind all this, but Zidane is doing the opposite of what he did when he started using young talents like Valverde, Rodrygo or Vinicius," he added. In this footballing aspect, he likes how Ronald Koeman is dealing with things.

"I have always said that the key to managing young talent is not to put too much pressure on them and I think Koeman is doing well, bringing the kids together with Busquets, Messi, Jordia Alba... Koeman deserves to be congratulated and respected for that management," he said.