Vinicius Junior hit with four-game ban after hair-pull incident, to miss Barcelona Clasico

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior will miss the first Clasico of the season against Barcelona after receiving a four-match suspension for pulling an opponent’s hair and protesting aggressively against the referee during Saturday’s La Liga victory over Villarreal.

The Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) disciplinary committee confirmed the punishment on Wednesday, ruling that the Brazilian international would serve a minimum two-game ban for the hair-pulling incident and an additional two matches for his conduct towards the referee after being sent off.

Real Madrid have indicated to The Athletic that they intend to appeal the decision, but the sanction currently rules Vinicius out of the October 25 meeting with Barcelona at Spotify Camp Nou.

The winger will also miss league fixtures against Sevilla, Racing Santander and Valencia, dealing a significant blow to Madrid ahead of a crucial stretch of the campaign.

Hair-pull incident sparks controversy

Vinicius was shown a straight red card during Madrid’s 1-0 home win over Villarreal after pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair in an incident that occurred at the beginning of a move that appeared to produce the home side’s second goal.

The Brazilian initially celebrated what he believed was another goal for his team. However, referee Isidro Diaz de Mera consulted the video assistant referee (VAR) and disallowed the effort after reviewing the incident.

The decision left Vinicius visibly frustrated. He protested vehemently before his teammates intervened to pull him away from the referee.

In explaining its ruling, the RFEF disciplinary committee rejected Madrid’s initial arguments against the sending-off, stating that the footage “clearly showed a hair pull”.

The committee also addressed the winger’s reaction following the dismissal, saying he “protested the referee’s decision and approached him in an aggressive manner, with his teammates having to restrain him”.

The two separate offences resulted in the four-game suspension, with the additional punishment reflecting his behaviour after receiving the red card.

Vinicius hits back on social media

Vinicius later apologised in a post on Instagram following the incident, but subsequently shared a collection of footage showing opponents committing offences in different matches that he believed should have resulted in bookings or dismissals.

The Brazilian accompanied the post with a pointed message expressing his frustration over what he considers inconsistent disciplinary treatment.

“And the one who always sees yellow and red is Vinicius. A disgrace.”

His comments attracted support from several Real Madrid teammates, including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Antonio Rudiger.

Jude Bellingham also publicly backed the winger, commenting: “Always on your side.”

The reaction underlined the support Vinicius continues to receive from within the Madrid dressing room despite the controversy surrounding his disciplinary record.

Clasico absence adds to Madrid concerns

Vinicius’ suspension comes at a difficult time for the 26-year-old, who has endured an inconsistent start to the season.

He has registered one goal and three assists in nine appearances across all competitions, while sections of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd have repeatedly expressed their frustration with his performances.

Missing the Clasico will be particularly costly for the winger, given the importance of the encounter against league leaders Barcelona. The fixture offers Madrid an opportunity to compete directly with their rivals in the La Liga title race, but they will have to do so without one of their most prominent attacking players.

The four-game league suspension will not extend to Madrid’s European fixtures. The club have Champions League matches against Roma on October 14, RB Leipzig on October 21 and AEK Athens on November 4 during the period covered by his domestic ban.

Madrid will hope their appeal produces a favourable outcome before the Clasico. Until then, Vinicius faces the prospect of watching one of the season’s biggest fixtures from the sidelines after a disciplinary incident that has overshadowed his team’s victory over Villarreal.