After €30 million ($34.9 million), five-and-a-half years and four loan spells, Reinier has finally extricated himself from Real Madrid, but not before criticizing his treatment by the Spanish giants.
The Brazilian midfielder was unveiled in January 2020 to much fanfare, billed as the latest South American gem in a process which had also seen Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo identified. Reinier’s compatriots would go on to establish themselves as key figures at Real Madrid, scoring 174 goals between them while the fallen prodigy failed to even register a single senior appearance.
Following yet another underwhelming loan spell in 2024–25—he started just 14 of Granada’s 42 league games in Spain’s second tier last term—Real Madrid reportedly considered terminating Reinier’s contract just to get him off the books.
The Spanish outfit managed to find a buyer in the form of mid-table Brazilian side Atlético Mineiro. Madrid reportedly retain 50% of Reinier’s economic rights, ensuring that the cord hasn’t been entirely severed just yet. However, the 23-year-old was certainly speaking like a man with little care for the opinion of those at Real.
“I’m very happy to sign for El Galo, in my new home. Happy to have this affection, which I didn’t have before,” Reinier pointedly noted. “Happy to be able to wear this shirt. I’m going to give everything on the field and I’m ready to help the team.”
“When I arrived, I could already hear it,” Reinier added. “I even got goosebumps. My mother was almost in tears.”
Looking back at what went wrong in Madrid, the former Flamengo starlet mused: “I was looking for my happiness. I was on loan for five years. I wasn’t happy. Paulo Bracks [Mineiro’s sporting director] was chasing me, Víctor Leandro [club icon] too. He valued me, and I spoke with coach Cuca. I’m very happy with the project and I think it will turn out very well.”
It can’t go much worse than his time at Real Madrid.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Not Happy’—Failed €30 Million Midfielder Takes Swipe at Real Madrid After Exit.