Vinicius Junior Handed Four-Match La Liga Ban Before Real Madrid’s Roma Clash

Real Madrid will have to manage without Vinicius Junior for four La Liga matches after the Spanish federation confirmed a suspension shortly before the club’s Champions League meeting with Roma. The decision reached the Madrid camp around two hours before kick-off at the Stadio Olimpico, on a night that ended with a remarkable 4-3 comeback for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Four-game domestic punishment confirmed

Vinicius was sent off in Madrid’s 1-0 league win over Villarreal last weekend, following a volatile incident after one of his goals had been disallowed following a VAR review. The Brazilian was dismissed for pulling the hair of Villarreal player Nathan Saliba.

The forward was visibly enraged after the red card, with Antonio Rudiger stepping in to keep his team-mate away from the referee. Disciplinary authorities imposed two games for violent conduct and added another two matches because of Vinicius’ protests after the dismissal.

Vinicius later apologised to supporters online, although he argued that the episode did not reflect his usual conduct. He said he had never intentionally acted violently towards an opponent and felt that he is regularly punished despite often being on the receiving end of heavy challenges.

Roma night begins badly before Madrid fight back

The late timing of the ruling appeared to affect Vinicius in Rome. He struggled to settle during the opening stages and gave the ball away in the sequence that led to Roma’s second goal. Mourinho replaced him in the 57th minute.

Madrid were two goals down before producing a dramatic response in the closing stages. Goals from Carlos Espi, Endrick and Rudiger helped turn the Champions League contest into a 4-3 victory for the Spanish club.

• Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
• Competition: Champions League
• Result: Roma 3-4 Real Madrid
• Vinicius substitution: 57th minute
• Madrid’s named late scorers: Carlos Espi, Endrick and Antonio Rudiger

Vinicius and Mourinho question announcement timing

After the match, Vinicius said he had only been informed of the sanction once he had arrived at the stadium. He questioned why the federation had waited until the evening of a major European fixture, arguing that there had been ample opportunity to communicate the decision earlier.

The Brazil international also said players had not been properly briefed on the particular disciplinary regulation involved. While he said representatives from the league or refereeing body normally explain rule changes, he maintained that this issue had not been addressed with the squad.

Mourinho strongly criticised the federation’s handling of the verdict. The Madrid manager said the ruling could have been delivered the following morning and described notifying a player of a four-match ban just before kick-off as unreasonable.

Key league fixtures Vinicius will miss

Madrid’s comeback in Italy offers momentum in Europe, but the ban removes one of Mourinho’s principal attackers for an important period in the title race. The first absence comes against Sevilla on October 18, before Madrid face Barcelona in El Clasico a week later.

The absence for the Barcelona match is particularly significant, while Mourinho must also find different attacking answers against Racing Santander and Valencia. Madrid will now look to carry their recovery in Rome into a demanding domestic run without Vinicius.