Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has been handed a four-match suspension following his red card for pulling an opponent’s hair during last week’s La Liga clash against Villarreal, ruling him out of the upcoming Clasico against Barcelona on October 25.
The Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee confirmed the ban on Wednesday, citing both the Brazilian winger’s on-field conduct and his subsequent protests against the referee’s decision.
The committee imposed a two-match suspension for “behaving violently… (while) not being in a position to challenge for the ball” and an additional two matches for “protests” against match officials.
Vinicius will consequently miss Real Madrid’s league fixtures against Sevilla on October 18, Barcelona on October 25, Racing Santander on November 1 and Valencia on November 7.
Despite the winger’s dismissal against Villarreal, Jose Mourinho’s side secured a 1-0 victory to remain in fourth place, six points behind league leaders Barcelona.
The 26-year-old reacted angrily after being sent off following a VAR review. The incident also led to the disallowance of a goal he had scored in the aftermath of his altercation with Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba.
Vinicius had to be restrained by his teammates as he protested against referee Isidro Diaz de Mera.
Mourinho was also unhappy with the officiating and refused to attend his post-match press conference.
Vinicius later apologised to his teammates and Real Madrid supporters in a social media post.
“I am sorry to the team and the fans,” he wrote.
The Brazilian has endured a difficult start to the campaign, scoring just once in nine appearances. He was dropped to the bench for the Villarreal match, with the red card coming about 20 minutes after he entered the game as a substitute.
His suspension comes at a crucial point in the season, with Real Madrid preparing to face their arch-rivals in one of Spanish football’s most anticipated fixtures.
The October 25 encounter at Camp Nou will mark Mourinho’s first Clasico since returning as Real Madrid coach this summer.
Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, have enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign. The reigning back-to-back Spanish champions have won all 10 of their matches across competitions this season, according to the report.
Vinicius’s absence will therefore be a significant setback for Real Madrid as they seek to close the gap on their title rivals.
