The Federation's Disciplinary Committee has imposed a four-match ban on Vinicius Júnior after his expulsion in the match against Villarreal. The measure confirms what many already suspected: the Brazilian striker will miss the next Clásico and his matches against Sevilla, Racing and Valencia.
The punishment derives from two different events that occurred during the match. Firstly, Vinicius received a direct red card for pulling Saliba's hair, an action considered violent and carried out outside the playing area. For this reason, the discipline imposed two matches and an accessory fine according to article 52 of the Sports Code (article 130.2). Secondly, the player protested against the referee, the assistant and the fourth referee, which earned him two more games and an additional fine (article 127).
With the suspension, the player will not be able to participate in the League until the reopening date of the calendar in November, when he faces Celta on the 21st-22nd of that month. Thus, Real Madrid will lose Vinicius in the Clásico, one of the most important days of the year. The club had expected a three-game sanction, but the final decision was four, which is why Real Madrid has decided to appeal to the Court of Appeals.
Real Madrid had already presented an appeal before the sanction was known, but the Disciplinary Committee rejected the request. However, the club's appeal was successful in another matter: the yellow card that Konaté received in the same match was withdrawn, ensuring his participation in the Clásico. In addition, Nuno Santos, the team's goalkeeping coach, was also suspended for one match after his expulsion in the match against Villarreal.
In summary, Vinicius Júnior will be out of action for the second half of the season, as Real Madrid prepares to deal with the absence of their young winger in the next key games. The club will continue working on appealing the sanction and managing its squad to minimize the impact of the suspension.