Vini Jr was seen angrily gesticulating with Xabi when he was taken off during the 5-o rout.
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But Marca says the target of the Brazilian's ire was teammate Franco Mastantuono and not his coach.
Moments before the change, Mastantuono was fed by Kylian Mbappe in the Kairat defensive area, but rather than move the ball onto the unmarked Vini Jr, the young Argentine instead chose to shoot, with his effort being saved.
Mastantuono's decision left his senior teammate furious, which was why he complained to Xabi when he was substituted minutes later.
For his part, Xabi exonerated Vini in his post-match media conference: “Another day... but not today. It's always the coach's fault. What Vini said wasn't a complaint. It was a comment that we understood."