Vinicius Junior has apologised to his teammates and Real Madrid fans after a straight red card overshadowed their 1-0 LaLiga win over Villarreal on Saturday. The Brazilian’s dismissal has intensified scrutiny of his difficult start to the season and left him facing a nervous wait over whether he could miss El Clasico against Barcelona on October 25.
Vinicius came off the bench in the 52nd minute and thought he had doubled Madrid’s lead after Yan Diomande’s opener. However, VAR spotted him pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair during the build-up, leading referee Isidro Diaz de Mera to disallow the goal and show him a straight red card.
“The joy continues… Sorry to my team and the fans,” Vinicius wrote on Instagram after the match.
He later shared a fan account’s montage of challenges against him, accompanied by a complaint about being repeatedly booked. The apology, therefore, did not end the controversy surrounding his reaction.
WHAT IS GOING WRONG WITH VINICIUS?
The dismissal came amid a dip in form that has extended beyond Madrid. Vinicius was left out of Jose Mourinho’s starting XI against Villarreal for the first time this season, having been substituted increasingly early in recent matches. He had managed only one goal in nine appearances across competitions.
His struggles were also evident during Brazil’s recent friendlies against Australia and India. Vinicius scored from the penalty spot in Brazil’s 4-2 win over Australia, but had acknowledged his lack of goals for the national team.
“I played several matches without scoring any goal with the national team, and I felt the importance of returning to scoring,” he said after that win.
Against India in Kolkata, Brazil won 4-0, but Vinicius struggled to make a decisive impact. India’s high defensive line repeatedly caught him offside, limiting the space he needs to use his pace and take on defenders. His quality is unquestionable, but the recent performances suggest he is short of the rhythm and confidence that make him such a dangerous attacker.
COULD HE MISS EL CLASICO?
Spanish football regulations classify hair-pulling as violent conduct, which can carry a suspension of one to three matches when no injury is caused. Vinicius is therefore at risk of missing the October 25 clash at Camp Nou, although the final punishment will depend on the disciplinary committee’s ruling.
For Madrid, losing Vinicius for El Clasico would be a major setback. For the Brazilian, the immediate priority is the disciplinary decision, but the wider challenge is to rediscover his best form and ensure that his performances, rather than his conduct, dominate the conversation.
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