Vinicius Junior faces growing scrutiny following his sending-off against Villarreal, with fresh reports suggesting the incident could lead to a harsher disciplinary sanction.
According to Cope, Real Madrid plans to appeal the Brazilian forward’s dismissal, although the club reportedly has little hope of overturning the decision. The referee showed Vinicius a red card in the 71st minute after he pulled Nathan Saliba’s hair, sparking furious reactions on the Madrid bench. “What happened on the bench was surreal,” the Spanish radio station reported.
According to El Chiringuito, Vinicius apologized to his teammates in the dressing room and explained that he had not intended to hurt his opponent. The Brazilian reportedly insisted that he acted in the heat of the moment while trying to escape his marker. However, the controversy could extend beyond his actions on the pitch. The Spanish programme claims that Vinicius also pushed a La Liga official as he left the field, a revelation that could complicate his disciplinary case. The forward now risks missing the Clásico against Barcelona on October 25, depending on the severity of the punishment.
José Mourinho was reportedly furious about the dismissal and chose to boycott the post-match press conference to avoid making comments that could worsen the situation. Real Madrid must now wait for the disciplinary authorities to determine the consequences of the incident, with video footage and the referee’s report expected to play a key role. Meanwhile, the club is preparing for its Champions League trip to face AS Roma on Wednesday, hoping to put the controversy behind it and prevent the fallout from disrupting its upcoming fixtures.
