Endrick’s post just minutes after Real Madrid’s shocking loss to lower-division side Albacete in the round of 16 of the Spanish King’s Cup stirred up the Los Blancos fan community.
The turbulent week for the team with 15 European titles worsened on the morning of January 15th, when they unexpectedly suffered a 2-3 defeat against the underdog Albacete.
The home team, currently 17th out of 22 in Spain’s second division, took the lead in the 43rd minute thanks to Javi Villar. However, this advantage was short-lived as Real Madrid’s young talent Franco Mastantuono equalized in first-half injury time.
Despite controlling possession up to 75%, Real Madrid continuously faced pressure from Albacete. The relentless efforts of the Carlos Belmonte stadium hosts were finally rewarded when Jefte Betancor scored to make it 2-1 in the 82nd minute.
The passionate atmosphere in the stands seemed about to fade when Gonzalo Garcia equalized for Real Madrid at 2-2 in the 90+1 minute, true to the royal team’s usual spirit. Yet, the drama was far from over. Just three minutes later, Betancor completed his brace, scoring the decisive goal at 90+4, sealing a historic victory for Albacete.
This shocking defeat and elimination from the King’s Cup came only two days after Xabi Alonso left Real Madrid by mutual agreement, with reserve team coach Álvaro Arbeloa appointed as interim manager.
After the match, Arbeloa openly took responsibility. He stated: “I am the one accountable and at fault. Regarding the starting lineup and substitutions, I can only thank the players. Now the whole team must quickly recover to prepare for the La Liga match against Levante next Saturday.”
Meanwhile, fans quickly noticed Endrick’s action, the player currently on loan at Lyon until the end of the season. Minutes after the game ended, the Brazilian forward posted a gym photo on social media without any caption. Although it might be coincidental, the timing of this post led many supporters to believe Endrick was subtly mocking his parent club.
One user commented: “Is he mocking Real Madrid?”
Another wrote: “I think he’s happy because he’s no longer part of Madrid.”
A different fan bluntly said: “He doesn’t care about Madrid at all.”
Meanwhile, a fourth opinion suggested: “He’s enjoying the best time of his life. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to return anytime soon either.”
In fact, Endrick’s start in France has been quite smooth. The 19-year-old talent scored the winning goal in his debut, helping Lyon defeat Lille 2-1 away in the French Cup on January 11th.