Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has apologised to his team-mates and the club’s supporters after being sent off during Saturday’s 1-0 LaLiga victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Brazil international now faces a wait for the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee to decide his punishment. A suspension could rule him out of Real Madrid’s meeting with rivals Barcelona at Camp Nou on October 25th.
Vinicius believed he had scored Real Madrid’s second goal after coming on as a substitute, but the effort was disallowed following a VAR review. The review determined that he should be dismissed for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair during the build-up to the goal.
The 26-year-old entered the match in the 52nd minute and was shown a red card 20 minutes later. He subsequently posted an apology on social media, writing: “sorry to the team and the fans”.
Under Spanish Football Federation regulations, pulling an opponent’s hair is classified as violent conduct.
Article 130 states that violent conduct which does not cause injury to an opponent carries a suspension of between one and three matches. The final decision will determine whether Vinicius is available for Real Madrid’s next fixtures.
Real Madrid’s upcoming LaLiga games are against Sevilla, Barcelona and Racing Santander. Missing the match against Barcelona would be a significant setback for the forward, who could face a ban covering one or more of those three fixtures.
The incident came in a match Real Madrid won 1-0 at home, but Vinicius’s dismissal has shifted attention towards the disciplinary ruling and its possible impact on the club’s schedule.
A one-match suspension would leave him available for the fixture against Barcelona, while a longer punishment could prevent him from appearing in El Clasico at Camp Nou. The disciplinary committee’s decision will therefore be closely watched by Real Madrid and the player following his appeal to the team and supporters.