Vinicius Handed Four-Match Ban After Red Card vs Villarreal, To Miss El Clasico
Retold by Oddsrama · 14 October 2026
Real Madrid's winger Vinicius Jr. is heading to the sidelines for the next four matches after picking up a straight red card in Saturday's 1-0 home victory against Villarreal. The Brazilian came off the bench during the second half and found the back of the net, but his goal was chalked off—a frustrating sequence that appeared to boil over when he grabbed Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba by the hair. To make matters worse, his reaction towards the referee after being dismissed only worsened the situation, requiring teammates to calm him down as he left the pitch.
The RFEF Disciplinary Committee has now confirmed the four-match suspension, breaking it down into two matches for violent conduct (hair-pulling incident) and another two for his protests and conduct toward the official. The minimum penalty was applied in both instances, meaning there's limited wiggle room even if Real Madrid choose to appeal—which they're expected to do, though success seems unlikely.
The timing couldn't be worse for the Spanish giants. Vinicius will sit out this weekend's La Liga clash against Sevilla and, more significantly, miss the blockbuster El Clasico against Barcelona on October 25th. He'll also be unavailable for matches against Racing Santander and Valencia, with his return pencilled in for early November against Celta Vigo. For punters tracking Madrid's form and attacking potency, losing a key winger during a congested fixture list is a notable shift in team dynamics heading into those crucial matchdays.
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