Vinícius Júnior misses four La Liga games after red card vs Villareal

Vinícius Júnior was handed a four‑match suspension in La Liga after being sent off in Real Madrid's latest clash with Villareal. The Brazilian forward has already commented on the decision, which will see him miss the upcoming fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing and Valencia.

Punishment details

The dismissal occurred when Vinícius Júnior pulled Nathan Saliba's hair, resulting in a straight red card. The League Committee also imposed a four‑match fine, preventing the player from taking part in the next four rounds of the competition.

The decision was announced on Wednesday, ahead of the match between AS Roma and Real Madrid, and was officially confirmed by La Liga.

Player's reaction

In a press conference after Real Madrid's victory over AS Roma, Vinícius Júnior said: “I think… it was a bad moment. They had the whole day to apply the sanction and, just as I arrive at the stadium, I receive the news that I will miss four league games. I don’t understand why.”

He added that the rule that prompted the suspension has not yet been explained to the club: “The truth is that the rule is new, they never explained this; someone from the League always shows up… or from any other entity, I’m not quite sure, related to the referees… to explain the new rule, but regarding this, precisely this, they said nothing.”

Vinícius also commented on the substitution he endured in the match in Rome, praising the youngster Endrick: “It’s normal to be upset after a substitution, because I always want to play the whole game… Endrick came on very well and changed the dynamics, besides scoring the goal. He was the best player of the second half.”

Regarding the whistles from the stands, the Brazilian said: “The whistles certainly don’t help me, but the fans pay for the ticket to say whatever they want… I’d rather have them boo me than one of our youngsters.”

He concluded that he remains confident: “When I was 18, many laughed at me, saying I wouldn’t score goals and, today, I have already scored more than 100 with this shirt. It’s a difficult moment for me, but I have to keep working, because things will return to normal.”