The Competitions Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation has decided to suspend Vinicius Júnior for two matches due to his behavior towards Stole Dimitrievski during the 1-2 victory against Valencia. This incident, which has sparked significant controversy in Spanish sports media in recent days, has now reached a resolution: the Brazilian will miss the next two Real Madrid matches against Las Palmas and Real Valladolid, which he will watch from the stands. Despite the numerical disadvantage and an initial 1-0 deficit, the Madrid side managed to overturn the score thanks to goals from Luka Modric and Jude Bellingham.
The Controversial Incident and the Referee’s Decision
In the 79th minute, Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz, after being alerted by his colleague César Soto Grado, reviewed footage of an incident involving Vinicius. The Brazilian was deemed guilty of a punishable act. Although the footage did not clearly show contact with the goalkeeper, the referee decided to send the player off. “I gave him a red card for hitting the opponent’s face with his arm,” Muñiz Ruiz explained after the match.
Ancelotti’s Response and Real Madrid’s Possible Appeal
After the match, Carlo Ancelotti announced that the club would appeal the decision. “We think it should have been two yellow cards, one for each player. We will appeal,” the Italian coach said. It is likely that Real Madrid will submit a claim to the Appeals Committee in an attempt to reduce or annul the sanction, allowing Vinicius to return as soon as possible. However, for now, the suspension remains valid for the next two matches.
Luka Modric Also Absent
Croatian midfielder Luka Modric will also be unavailable for the next league match, but for a different reason: he has reached the limit of accumulated yellow cards, resulting in an automatic suspension.