Vinicius targeting 'five or six' Champions League trophies with Real Madrid

By Sports Desk August 06, 2022

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. is targeting further European glory beyond the UEFA Super Cup, as he looks to win "five or six" Champions League trophies.

The 22-year-old scored the only goal of the game in the Champions League final against Liverpool last season, the club's fourth in nine seasons but his first since joining the club from Flamengo in 2018.

Madrid have the opportunity for further honours in the Super Cup clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, taking place on Wednesday, and Vinicius is keen for a win in Helsinki but has aspirations that stretch far in the future with the Spanish giants.

"It is very important to try to win as many games as possible, especially if you want to win competitions as important as the UEFA Super Cup," he told UEFA's official website.

"We will do all we can to win the first piece of silverware on offer in the season.

"I look up to the players who have achieved so much at this club, who achieved those things at the biggest club in the world.

"Of course, I want to keep winning here and play for a long time to win as much as them – to win five or six [Champions Leagues] – and to try to be as influential as some of the greatest players to have worn the Real Madrid shirt."

Madrid's run to the final last season was far from an easy ride, with late goals in the ties against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City preventing an exit and Vinicius admitted it was an "emotional rollercoaster".

"That's just in the DNA of this club and this shirt, always turning up in important games, players who know how to approach games in this competition, so I believe that it was a bit of everything," he said.

"Some of the games were emotional rollercoasters and everything seemed to go our way.

"My favourite moment? The game against [Manchester] City here at the Bernabeu. In two minutes, Rodrygo came on and scored two goals which took us to the final.

"The most important moment of the competition, I believe, was the City game."

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    He has also missed seven big chances, with only Real Betis duo Abde Ezzalzouli and Vitor Roque (both eight) and Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski (11) wasting more in LaLiga. 

    In Madrid's last game, a 4-0 Clasico defeat, Mbappe recorded just 27 touches. Only Aurelien Tchouameni (24) registered fewer among those who started the encounter.

    Benzema also endured a difficult start to life in the Spanish capital, netting just nine goals in his 33 appearances in all competitions in his debut season after his move from Lyon.

    He would, however, go on to become one of Madrid's best ever players, scoring 354 times in 648 outings, a total that puts him behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (450) in the club's history. 

    Benzema won 25 major honours during his time at the club, also scooping the Ballon d'Or in 2022, and had some advice for his compatriot moving forward. 

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