Real Madrid forward Vinícius Junior has been handed a four-game ban for his sending-off in Real Madrid's La Liga win over Villarreal and will miss this month's Clásico with Barcelona. The Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee confirmed on Wednesday that Vinícius received two games for violent conduct after pulling Nathan Saliba's hair during Saturday's match at the Bernabéu, and two more for his aggressive reaction to the decision.
Moments after the hair pull, Vinícius converted Jude Bellingham's pass to put Madrid 2-0 up. A VAR review disallowed the goal and the Brazil international was shown a red card. Coach José Mourinho had left him out of the starting XI after a difficult start to the season, in which he has scored just once for the club. Vinícius apologized to fans on social media afterward.
He will miss Madrid's games with Sevilla, the Clásico at Camp Nou on Sunday, Oct. 25, and matches with Racing Santander and Valencia. The ban applies only to domestic competitions, so he is eligible for Wednesday's Champions League game at Roma, as well as RB Leipzig on Oct. 21 and AEK on Nov. 4.
Mourinho questioned the timing of the announcement, saying the committee released the punishment just two hours before an important game. Vinícius will next play in La Liga after the November international break. He signed a new contract running until 2032 this summer.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing