Vinicius criticised as ‘stupid’ after Real Madrid red card against Villarreal

Vinicius Junior was the central figure in Real Madrid’s meeting with Villarreal, both during the match and in the reaction that followed, after his dismissal left his side with 10 players and saw a goal he had scored ruled out.

The incident came late in the contest and made Real Madrid’s closing stages considerably more difficult. The team’s victory was placed under pressure after Vinicius was sent off, with several journalists highlighting the episode as an avoidable error from a player experienced enough to recognise the consequences of his actions.

Journalist Ruben Canizares criticised the Brazil forward while discussing the incident from the match on the programme Tiempo de Juego, broadcast by radio station COPE. His comments were published by Defensa Central.

“Vinicius does not know the laws of the game; he ruined a brilliant attack that ended in a goal,” Canizares said.

“He acted stupidly. He should have been more intelligent, because the match would have been settled by that moment.”

The incident involved Vinicius pulling an opponent’s hair. There may be debate over whether a slight pull, which did not cause the other player to lose his balance, should be enough for a sending-off. However, the article states that under the Laws of the Game, such an action warrants a red card, provided the rules are applied correctly and fairly by the officials.

Vinicius, it argues, should have been aware of that risk and avoided repeating the situation. The decision carried added significance because Canizares believed the Real Madrid player had been in a strong position during the attack.

“Vinicius is faster than Saliba, and he had the better position,” he said.

That assessment, according to Canizares, made the forward’s decision even harder to justify. Real Madrid had produced an attack that could have ended the match, but the goal was disallowed and Vinicius’s dismissal changed the balance of the final minutes.

The Spanish side were therefore forced to defend their lead with 10 men, while an incident that could have been avoided threatened to undermine a victory that had appeared close to being secured.