Vinicius appears in Marrakech wearing the Morocco jersey
Vinicius Junior has been the centre of attention in Marrakech on a whirlwind trip thanks to the two days' rest granted by his coach, Carlo Ancelotti, after the draw against Rayo Vallecano and with a full calendar of matches in the most important part of the season. The Brazilian has taken advantage of this time off to carry out a solidarity campaign with UNESCO.
Appointed as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Vinicius has set up the Vini Jr Institute, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to education with the aim of assisting underprivileged children.
In his first assignment as UNESCO Ambassador for Education for All, Vinicius visited a secondary school in Marrakech, a city renowned for its commitment to education according to UNESCO standards. The Foundation shared this event on its official Instagram account where he highlighted the transformative power of education.
"This visit marks the start of a special journey to promote the value of education. In partnership with the @institutovinijr, we are working to create a world where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. We thank Vinicius Junior for his commitment to this cause and for creating unforgettable moments for children, while tirelessly championing UNESCO's mission," concludes the message released by the Foundation.
Apart from the scheduled events, the player was able to enjoy Moroccan culture and the flavours of its typical food, although the excursion in the High Atlas was one of his favourite moments. Vinicius posted several photos on Instagram where he can be seen in the desert of Marrakech on a quad bike doing one of the usual tourist routes through this area that gives its name to the Moroccan national team.
The Atlas Lions are named after the Barbary lion (Panthera leo leo), a subspecies of lion native to North Africa that is now extinct. The original range of the Atlas lion covered the Maghreb, the entire area now occupied by the Sahara, Egypt, northeastern Sudan, Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. The strength and ferocity of this species was transferred to the Moroccan national team and Vinicius wanted to pay tribute to them with his jersey and the number 2 on the back.
Morocco jersey with the number 2
It is no coincidence that the Brazilian wears the shirt with the number 2, it is that of his former Real Madrid teammate Achraf Hakimi with whom he barely coincided in white as in 2018 he arrived from Flamengo and Hakimi was heading for a profitable loan spell at Dortmund that later took him to PSG in a sale that relieved Real Madrid financially in the pandemic years after a drastic reduction in revenue.
The relationship between the two players is good and the Moroccan was one of the first to support Vinicius when he suffered racist shouts from Valencia fans last season in a match that marked a turning point in the way such behaviour is dealt with by clubs, the competition and the judiciary.