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Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior has been suspended for four matches by the Spanish football federation, ruling him out of the upcoming El Clásico against Barcelona.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior will miss the El Clásico match against Barcelona after receiving a four-game suspension from the Spanish football federation (RFEF). The ban stems from his red card during the 1-0 victory over Villarreal last Saturday, where he was sent off for pulling an opponent's hair.
Vinícius Júnior was sent off in the 73rd minute of the match against Villarreal. According to the match report signed by referee Isidro Díaz de Mera, the incident occurred when Vinícius pulled the hair of Nathan Saliba while running toward the opposing goal. The referee also disallowed a goal Vinícius had scored during the same play after reviewing the build-up on the pitchside monitor.
The RFEF's disciplinary committee imposed the suspension in two parts. The first two games were for "behaving violently ... (while) not being in a position to challenge for the ball." The committee added two further matches for "protests" to the officials.
The referee's official report detailed the player's reaction to the red card. The document states that Vinícius "siguió protestando mi decisión, a voz en grito, dirigiéndose a la zona donde me encontraba con actitud agresiva, teniendo que ser sujetado por compañeros de su equipo."
Following the match, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho did not attend the post-match news conference. Vinícius Júnior later posted a message on social media apologizing for his actions, stating he was "sorry to the team and the [Real Madrid] fans."
The four-game ban means Vinícius Júnior will be unavailable for the following La Liga fixtures:
The suspension removes one of Real Madrid's key attackers from the highly anticipated El Clásico against Barcelona on 25 October. The absence of Vinícius Júnior significantly alters the tactical landscape for Real Madrid in one of the most important matches of the season, forcing manager Jose Mourinho to adjust his lineup without his primary winger.
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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