Vinicius Jr receives four-match suspension and calls for better protection for stars
Vinicius Jr has been banned for four La Liga matches following an incident against Villarreal. The winger urged officials to better protect creative players in Spanish football.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Author: Alejandro Ramos
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr is facing a significant setback after receiving a four-match suspension following a volatile encounter against Villarreal. The Brazilian was dismissed for pulling opponent Nathan Saliba’s hair, but the situation escalated when he aggressively confronted referee Isidro Diaz de Mera and shoved a LaLiga staff member near the VAR monitor. The Spanish football federation divided the ban evenly, with two games for the altercation on the pitch and two for his conduct toward officials.
The suspension rules Vinicius out of all La Liga action until after the November international break. Most notably, the forward will be sidelined for the high-stakes Clasico clash against Barcelona.
Following Madrid’s 4-3 Champions League victory over Roma, the winger expressed concerns about how flair players are treated in Spain. He argued that he is frequently targeted by physical challenges yet remains the one penalized by referees.
I’ve seen a statistic that says I’ve been fouled 500 times, resulting in five red cards and I don’t know how many yellows – and the yellows are always for Vini. We have to defend players who stand out, like Lamine at Barcelona or Julián at Atletico. Vinicius Jr
Teammate Endrick defended the forward, criticizing the disciplinary committee's decision as excessive. While the squad expected a standard two-game ban for the red card, Endrick stated that the intensity of the four-match sanction reflects a pattern of unfair scrutiny directed at the Brazilian.