Real Madrid’s star winger Vinícius Júnior has been suspended for four domestic matches after a red‑card incident in the club’s 2‑1 La Liga win over Villarreal. The Spanish federation’s disciplinary committee confirmed the ban on Wednesday, citing a two‑game suspension for violent conduct when the Brazilian pulled the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba, and an additional two games for his heated reaction to the referee’s decision.
The episode unfolded shortly after Vinícius converted a Jude Bellingham pass to give Madrid a 2‑0 lead. VAR reviewed the contact, overturned the goal and issued a straight red. Mourinho had already left the forward on the bench for the match, a decision that followed a sluggish start to the season in which Vinícius had scored only once for the club. The player later expressed regret on social media, apologising to fans for his behaviour.
Under the new ruling, Vinícius will miss Madrid’s upcoming league clash with Sevilla on Sunday and the much‑anticipated Clásico against Barcelona at Camp Nou on October 25. He will also be unavailable for the fixtures against Racing Santander and Valencia. The ban applies only to domestic competitions, allowing Mourinho to include him in the starting lineup for the Champions League tie against Roma on Wednesday. Vinícius will remain eligible for the upcoming matches against RB Leipzig on October 21 and AEK on November 4, and he is expected to return to La Liga action after the international break in November.
The disciplinary panel described the offence as “violent conduct, without the possibility of playing the ball” and noted that Vinícius’s “aggressive attitude” during the confrontation with the referee required intervention by his teammates. Despite the setback, the forward has recently secured a long‑term contract extension with Real Madrid, keeping him at the club until 2032 after rumours of a potential move surfaced during the final year of his previous deal.