The decision by several teams not to perform the traditional guard of honor for Vinicius Jr., Real Madrid forward and recent winner of the The Best award, has reopened the debate on respect in Spanish football. The gesture, which usually honors a champion, has become a symbol of the tensions surrounding the Brazilian player, who has been a victim of racist insults in several stadiums. The lack of consensus among clubs reflects a fracture in the beautiful game.
VAR technology cannot measure respect 🤖
While VAR is being perfected to review millimeter offsides or dubious handballs, there is no algorithm that evaluates sportsmanship. The decision to omit the guard of honor for Vinicius shows that fair play protocols, unlike offside lines, depend on human will. In an environment where every play is analyzed with 30 cameras, the simple act of applauding an opponent remains a technical blind spot. Technology advances, but education in values lags behind.
Ghost guard of honor: when tradition becomes optional 👻
In the end, the guard of honor for Vinicius has become football's new meme: everyone mentions it, but no one does it. Like grandma's famous hallway you promise to sweep and never do, clubs have decided that paying tribute is an option, not an obligation. Perhaps the next step is to install a respect sensor in the tunnel corridors, which sounds an alarm when a team decides not to form the guard of honor. Meanwhile, Vinicius will keep celebrating titles and the rivals, celebrating their right not to celebrate.