Vinicus Jr suspended for 4 matches to miss the first El Clasico of the season
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. was handed a four-match ban by the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee for pulling the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba during their LaLiga clash. The penalty rules the Brazilian out of the first El Clasico of the season, with Real Madrid facing Barcelona on October 26.
The disciplinary committee imposed a two-game ban for the red card offense and added two more games for his protests to the referee, according to the LaLiga eighth-round match report. Vinicius will subsequently miss Real Madrid’s league matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia.
The suspension is a significant setback for Real Madrid, who are struggling to keep up with Barcelona in the early stages of the league campaign. Vinicius has started all but one of Real’s games this season, but the Spanish giants have lost two of their eight league games and are fourth in the table, six points behind their arch-rivals.
VINICIUS APOLOGIZES AFTER RED CARD
Vinicius was sent off in Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. The Brazilian, who came on as a 52nd-minute substitute, was sent off around 20 minutes later after a VAR review found he had pulled Saliba by the hair following what he thought was Real’s second goal. This effort was rejected after review.
Spanish Football Federation regulations classify pulling an opponent’s hair as violent behaviour. Under Article 130, the penalty for violent behavior that does not cause injury can range from a one-match to a three-match ban.
After the match, Vinicius apologized to his teammates and the club’s supporters on social media, writing: “I apologize to the team and the fans.”
However, the disciplinary committee imposed a four-match ban, taking into account both the red card offense and his protests to the referee. The additional punishment means the 26-year-old will miss one of the most important games in Real Madrid’s calendar.
REAL MADRID FACE BARCELONA TEST
The first El Clasico of the season is scheduled for October 26, with Real Madrid traveling to Camp Nou to face defending LaLiga champions Barcelona. The game comes at a crucial moment for Real, who have already dropped points in the league and are chasing a Barcelona side who are off to a perfect start.
Barcelona have won all eight of their LaLiga matches so far, scoring 34 goals in a dominant attacking display. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have suffered two defeats and are six points behind the league leaders.
Vinicius’ absence will leave head coach Jose Mourinho without one of his most-used attacking players for the trip to Barcelona. The Brazilian was also in the limelight in India when he played in Kolkata earlier in October, though his appearance failed to impress the fans.
With Barcelona in impressive form and Real Madrid already under pressure to close the gap at the top, Vinicius’ suspension adds another complication for Mourinho ahead of the first El Clasico of the season.
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