Vinícius handed 4-match ban, ruled out of El Clásico

Vinícius Júnior likely did not anticipate that a fleeting moment of intensity on the pitch would lead to such a severe penalty. The Spanish football disciplinary committee has handed a four-match ban to the Real Madrid and Brazilian star, following a red card incident during a La Liga match against Villarreal.

On Wednesday (October 15), the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee confirmed the suspension. Consequently, he will be sidelined for this month’s *El Clásico* against Barcelona.

Why did the La Liga committee impose such a heavy sanction? During Saturday’s match, Vinícius pulled the hair of opposing player Nathan Saliba—an action that earned him a two-match ban. He received an additional two-match suspension for his angry reaction to the referee’s decision to show him a red card.

The current season has not been particularly smooth for Vinícius; he has scored only one goal for the club so far. For this reason, the coach did not include him in the starting lineup against Villarreal. However, after coming on as a substitute in the 52nd minute, he was shown a red card in the 73rd minute. Following the match, the Brazilian winger took to social media to apologize to the fans.

Now, Vinícius faces a four-match suspension—news he received shortly before taking the field against Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday. As a result of this ban, he will miss La Liga encounters against Sevilla, Barcelona, ​​Racing Santander, and Valencia.

Meanwhile, Vinícius has expressed frustration regarding the timing of the announcement. The Brazilian star also maintained that he did not engage in any violent behavior toward an opposing player, stating, "They had the entire day to announce the suspension." "Yet, the moment we arrived at the stadium, I was informed that I would be unable to play in the next four league matches."

Expressing his frustration, Vinícius added, "We have never received an explanation regarding the incident involving the hair-pulling. Representatives from La Liga and the referees' association have come to explain the rules, but they never addressed this specific issue. In my case, I was simply shown a red card—that was it. I have never acted violently toward any other player. Others often strike me, yet in the end, it is I who receives the card."

It is not just Vinícius who has raised concerns; Real Madrid coach José Mourinho has also questioned the timing of the suspension announcement. He remarked, "The question for the disciplinary committee is: why did they choose this specific moment to announce the sanction? By asking this, you imply that it could impact Vinícius—otherwise, you wouldn't have brought it up."

Mourinho added, "One should ask them: why wasn't this announced this morning, or perhaps tomorrow morning? Why was it declared just two hours before a crucial match for Real Madrid? Let’s not forget—Real Madrid is, after all, a Spanish club."

It should be noted that Vinícius's suspension applies only to domestic competitions in Spain; there is no restriction preventing the Brazilian winger from playing in the Champions League. Consequently, despite the suspension announced by La Liga, Vinícius was able to feature in Wednesday's match against Roma.