Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior will miss El Clásico against Barcelona after the Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) Appeals Committee rejected the club’s challenge against his four-match suspension.
The Brazilian was sent off during Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday after an incident involving Villarreal midfielder Nathan Saliba. Vinícius had a goal ruled out by VAR before being shown a straight red card for pulling Saliba’s hair and subsequently protesting the referee’s decision.
The 26-year-old started the match on the bench and was introduced in the 52nd minute, replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, the disciplinary authorities concluded that the ball was not being contested between the players when the hair-pulling incident occurred, resulting in a two-match suspension. His subsequent reaction to the dismissal was deemed an “aggressive attitude”, attracting an additional two-match ban.
The Appeals Committee rejected Real Madrid’s challenge on Friday, October 16, leaving the original four-match suspension intact. According to AS, the club intends to take the case to Spain’s Administrative Court of Sport (TAD) in an attempt to have the punishment reduced or overturned.
Vinícius will therefore miss El Clásico against Barcelona on October 25, along with three other LaLiga matches against Sevilla, Racing Santander and Valencia.
Since the suspension applies to domestic league matches, meaning Vinícius remains available for Real Madrid’s Champions League campaign. He featured in the club’s 4-3 victory over Roma on Wednesday, October 14, and questioned the severity of the punishment after the match.
“I don’t recall a player ever receiving a four-match suspension,” Vinícius said, adding that he was surprised by the decision and denied using offensive language towards the referee.
Real Madrid’s official website published the forward’s comments following the victory in Rome. The club’s reported intention to pursue another appeal means the situation could still develop, although the four-match ban remains in force.
If the suspension is not overturned, Vinícius is expected to return to LaLiga action against Celta Vigo around November 21–22, following the international break. Until then, Real Madrid must navigate a crucial stretch of domestic fixtures without one of their most influential attacking players.
