CTA justifies Vinicius's expulsion and his absence from the Clasico
Vinicius will miss the Clasico after being sent off last Saturday at the Bernabéu during the match against Villarreal; the decision was adopted by referee Isidro Díaz de Mera at the request of VAR, with the presence of Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz, and is backed by the Technical Committee of Referees manual.
The CARD document, prepared by the Technical Committee of Referees at the start of the season, records all actions and situations of the game. It details that the Brazilian’s hair pull on Saliba constitutes violent conduct. The dismissal was announced in the report by Pere Punti and JUAN SÁNCHEZ.
Violent conduct in the game
According to the manual, a violent conduct action occurs when a player uses excessive force or brutality against an opponent, teammate, referee or any other person, without a ball dispute. The hair pull on Saliba fits that description, as there was no play in progress. The CARD text lists examples such as elbow, headbutt, punch, slap, neck grab, shove, kick, bite and hair pull.
The VAR had already flagged the action to the referee on Saturday, which prompted the review of the incident. Isidro Díaz de Mera, assisted by Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz, confirmed the dismissal after the review. The VAR intervention reinforces the consideration of the foul as violent.
Vinicius Junior sent off against Villarreal, the Clasico at risk
Article 130 of the regulations states that, if violent conduct occurs within the play, the sanction will be one match; if it occurs outside of it, the suspension rises to two matches. The authority still has to decide which case Vinicius’s action falls into. This distinction will determine whether the player will miss only the Clasico or also the next fixture.
Decision of the Disciplinary Committee
The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation will review Vinicius’s reaction and issue the final sanction. The decision will depend on the assessment of the action under article 130. Until then, the dismissal remains confirmed and the player will miss the upcoming Clasico.
Ramón Fuentes commented: «There are people who take care of ordering this kind of tension». The observation underscores the need to maintain discipline in high‑rivalry matches. Yaca Garcia‑Planas also highlighted the importance of applying the manual consistently.
The next Clasico will be contested without Vinicius, who will have to serve the sanction determined by the RFEF. His absence leaves the team without one of its main offensive threats. Supporters await the official confirmation of the suspension length.