Vinícius is forced to remain out of the League for more than a month after receiving a four-match suspension, according to the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The sanction, which comes into force on November 21, prevents him from playing the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing and Valencia, and leaves him only two opportunities in the Champions League to demonstrate his quality: the first leg against Leipzig at the Bernabéu and the match in Athens against AEK on November 4.
The Brazilian reached the group stage of the Champions League with an unconvincing performance. In the duel against Real Madrid, he substituted in the 59th minute after a foul that led to the rival team's second goal. During the 22 touches of the ball he had, he failed to shoot or score, and his lack of participation was highlighted by José Mourinho, who gave him confidence after losing the starting job against Villarreal. In that match, Vinícius only arrived on the field in the 52nd minute, scored a goal that was disallowed due to a previous foul and was sent off for grabbing Saliba's hair. The forward expressed his frustration at the referee's decision, although he acknowledged that discipline was not in his favor.
Mourinho attributed the player's weakness to Gasperini's tactics, who loaded the right wing with attackers and superiorities. Even so, the Portuguese coach accepted that the error that caused Real Madrid's second goal was unacceptable. At a press conference, Mourinho criticized the way in which the federation communicated the sanction, calling it “shameless.” The coach also pointed out that the timing of the sanction was inappropriate, since the player only found out two hours before the game.
With the suspension in force, Vinícius will not be able to play in the League until the weekend of November 21, when Real Madrid faces Celta after the second national team break. Meanwhile, the striker must take advantage of the two European games to regain his form and return to the starting lineup. Despite his discontent with Mourinho's decision to withdraw him in the 59th minute, the Brazilian stated that he understands the coach's logic and that the team has changed and improved. The next phase of the Champions League will be crucial for Vinícius to show that he remains a key player for Real Madrid.