Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior has received a four-match suspension for pulling an opponent's hair and an outburst toward the referee. He will miss El Clásico against Barcelona on October 25.
Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior has been suspended for four matches following a red card issued during a victory over Villarreal on Saturday. The suspension means the Brazilian international will miss the upcoming El Clásico against Barcelona on October 25, according to AS USA.
The disciplinary action stems from an incident in the second half of Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Villarreal. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials spotted Vinícius pulling the hair of opponent Nathan Saliba during the build-up to a goal that was subsequently disallowed, as reported by Goal.com.
The suspension is split into two parts. According to Goal.com, two matches are for pulling his opponent's hair, and two matches are for his "angry outburst towards the referee." Following the red card, Vinícius appeared stunned and moved toward the official, an action that teammate Antonio Rüdiger intervened to stop.
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho declined to speak to the press after the match. Goal.com reports that Mourinho was "angry about the refereeing" and feared his comments might result in further trouble for the club.
The four-match ban applies to domestic league fixtures. Vinícius will miss the following LaLiga matches:
However, the suspension does not extend to European competition. Both AS USA and Goal.com confirm that Vinícius remains eligible to play in Real Madrid’s Champions League games during this period.
This incident adds to Vinícius Júnior’s disciplinary record in Spain. AS USA notes that this is his fourth red card in his senior career. He was sent off once while playing for Real Madrid Castilla in 2018 and has now received three red cards for the first team.
Two of his previous red cards for the first team occurred in matches against Valencia. One of these incidents took place at Mestalla in May 2023, a match that was temporarily halted after home fans directed racist insults at the player. AS USA states that the sending-off from that specific 2023 incident was ultimately rescinded, meaning he did not serve a suspension for it.
Prior to this latest ban, Vinícius had missed six games due to suspension since his debut for Castilla. Three of those absences were due to an accumulation of yellow cards. With the new four-match ban, his total number of games missed due to suspension will rise to 10, according to AS USA.
The suspension removes one of Real Madrid’s key attackers from one of the most significant matches in Spanish football, El Clásico, against Barcelona. The incident highlights ongoing disciplinary challenges for the player, who has faced both on-field misconduct and off-field abuse since moving to Spain. Real Madrid is reportedly planning to appeal the decision, according to reports cited by Goal.com.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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