Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has been handed a four-match suspension following his red card against Villarreal, ruling him out of the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona, according to the disciplinary decision described in the original report.
The Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee announced the punishment on October 13, imposing a two-match ban for violent conduct and a further two matches for the Brazilian international’s reaction to the dismissal. The decision followed Real Madrid’s LaLiga victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
The incident involved Vinicius pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair during the match. Shortly afterwards, the Madrid forward appeared to score from a pass by Jude Bellingham, putting his team 2-0 ahead. However, a video assistant referee (VAR) review brought the incident back into focus, the goal was disallowed, and Vinicius was shown a red card.
The suspension is set to keep Vinicius out of Real Madrid’s league meeting with Sevilla, the Clasico against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday, October 25, and subsequent matches against Racing Santander and Valencia. His absence from the Barcelona fixture is a significant consequence for Madrid as the team prepares for one of the most closely watched matches in Spanish football.
Vinicius questioned the timing of the announcement after Real Madrid’s dramatic 4-3 Champions League comeback victory over Roma on Wednesday. He said he had been informed of the suspension just as the team arrived at the stadium, despite the disciplinary committee having had the day to announce its decision.
“They had all day to announce the suspension, yet just as we arrived at the stadium, I was told I’m out for four league games,” the Brazilian star said.
He also challenged the way the incident had been handled, arguing that players had not received a specific explanation of the rules concerning hair-pulling incidents.
“We’ve never had this [hair pulling] explained to us. Someone from La Liga and the referees’ association always comes to explain the rules, but never this specific point,” Vinicius said.
The forward acknowledged that the incident had resulted in a red card but rejected the suggestion that he had a history of violent conduct toward opponents. He also complained that he often receives punishment despite being on the receiving end of physical challenges.
“It was a red card for me, simple as that… I’ve never been violent towards another player. I get hit quite a lot, yet the cards end up going to me,” he said.
The four-match suspension leaves Real Madrid without one of its leading attacking players for the scheduled Clasico, while Vinicius has publicly questioned both the communication surrounding the decision and the treatment he believes he receives from match officials.
