Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has apologised to his teammates and the club’s supporters after being sent off in their 1-0 victory over Villarreal, with the Brazilian now facing a possible suspension that could rule him out of the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona.
Vinicius was dismissed during Saturday’s La Liga encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review determined that he had pulled Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba’s hair in the build-up to what he thought was his second goal of the match. The goal was subsequently disallowed, and the 26-year-old was shown a red card following the review.
Reacting to the incident after the match, Vinicius took to social media to apologise, writing, “sorry to the team and the fans”. The forward, who came on as a substitute in the 52nd minute, was sent off approximately 20 minutes later. The incident unfolded as Vinicius celebrated what he believed was a goal that would extend Real Madrid’s lead.
Manager Jose Mourinho had also joined the celebrations before the referee, Isidro Diaz de Mera, was called to the pitchside monitor to review the footage. After the decision was overturned, Vinicius reacted angrily, shouting at the referee as his teammates attempted to calm him down while he left the pitch. Villarreal defender Juan Foyth acknowledged the seriousness of the incident but suggested the Brazilian had not intended to cause harm.
“I don’t think he meant to hurt anyone, but it is a red card,” Foyth said about the hair-pulling incident involving Saliba. In his match report, Diaz de Mera stated that Vinicius “protested my decision, raising his voice, toward where I was standing in an aggressive manner, and being held back by teammates”. Under Royal Spanish Football Federation regulations, pulling an opponent’s hair is classified as violent conduct.