Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has been ruled out of the upcoming El Clasico fixture against Barcelona after disciplinary authorities handed him a four-match suspension. The Brazilian international received the ban following a controversial incident during Real Madrid's narrow 1-0 victory over Villarreal last Saturday.
Vinicius entered the match as a substitute shortly after the interval, coming off the bench in the 52nd minute. He initially believed he had doubled his team's advantage later in the half, but the officiating crew intervened. After consulting the pitchside video monitor, the referee determined that the forward had pulled the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba during the buildup.
The goal was subsequently overturned, and Vinicius was shown a straight red card. The player expressed strong dissatisfaction with the dismissal as he left the pitch.
The disciplinary committee of the Spanish football federation reviewed the match official's report and issued a heavy punishment. The winger received a two-match ban for violent conduct after committing an aggressive act away from a challenge for the ball. An additional two-match suspension was added to the penalty due to his argumentative protests directed at the match officials.
The resulting absence will sideline the attacker for four domestic fixtures. He will sit out matches against Sevilla on October 18, Barcelona on October 25, Racing Santander on November 1, and Valencia on November 7.
The match concluded with unusual tension off the pitch as well. Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho declined to appear at the scheduled post-match news conference following the contentious encounter.
Vinicius later addressed the incident publicly through social media. In his online statement, the forward expressed regret for his actions and offered an apology to his teammates and the club supporters.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.
