Business · India Bureau
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior suspended for four league matches after on-field incident
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has been handed a four-match suspension by Spain's soccer federation following a hair-pulling incident during Saturday's match against Villarreal. The ban will see him miss the highly anticipated fixture against Barcelona.
LSN India ·
The Spanish soccer federation's disciplinary committee announced the suspension after Vinicius was shown a straight red card in the 73rd minute of Madrid's 1-0 victory over Villarreal. The incident occurred when the Brazilian forward pulled the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba during a sprint down the field. A goal that Vinicius scored moments after the infraction was subsequently ruled out.
The timing of the announcement proved controversial, coming just two hours before Madrid's crucial Champions League encounter against Roma on Wednesday. Madrid ultimately secured a dramatic 4-3 victory in the Italian capital after fighting back from two goals down.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho expressed frustration over when the federation made its decision public. He questioned the appropriateness of announcing such a significant suspension to a Spanish team player just hours before a high-stakes European fixture that held implications for Spanish football's standing in continental competition.
The four-match ban will rule Vinicius out of Madrid's upcoming La Liga commitments, including the El Clasico showdown with Barcelona, one of football's most prestigious rivalries.