Vinicius excluded, Spain's press deems him violent and backs expulsion
The day after Real Madrid's 1-0 victory over Villarreal on the eighth round of La Liga, the Spanish press unanimously condemned Vinicius, deeming his dismissal justified after pulling an opponent's hair. The incident occurred in the 73rd minute, leading to the goal being disallowed and a red card.
The match and the incident
Vinicius, who came on in the 52nd minute, found the net thanks to a pass from Jude Bellingham in the 71st minute, but the goal was ruled out after VAR intervention. Referee Isidro Diaz de Mera then brandished the red card for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair at the start of the play.
VAR invited the Brazilian to review the incident on the sideline, where it was determined that the hair‑pulling had occurred while the ball was in play, thus justifying the referee's decision.
Media and player reactions
The newspaper Mundo Deportivo headlined “A victory pulled by the hair and a red card for Vinicius”, while Sport went with “A dull victory marked by Vinicius' ridiculous red card”. The Spanish press unanimously deemed the dismissal “justified”.
Vinicius offered an apology on his Instagram account, asking forgiveness from his team and the fans. He then posted in his story a collage of images showing unsanctioned fouls suffered, captioned “and the one who always gets a yellow and a red, it’s Vinicius, what a shame” with three laughing‑to‑death emojis.
VAR drama changes Real Madrid's lead against Villarreal
Upset with the officiating, José Mourinho boycotted Real Madrid's press conference, expressing his displeasure with the referee's decision.
Disciplinary consequences
In his report, the referee noted that Vinicius, number 7, continued to protest after his dismissal, shouting and approaching the official’s area with an aggressive attitude, before being restrained by his teammates.
The player is automatically suspended for one week for the match against Sevilla FC at the Bernabeu. If the report results in a suspension of two matches or more, he will miss the Clasico against FC Barcelona on October 25, when Real travels to the Camp Nou.
Vinicius challenges Díaz de Mera after a straight red at the Bernabeu
This contrast between the unanimous media condemnation and the sporting repercussions shows how a single act can affect both the player’s image and the club’s ambitions for the upcoming major fixtures.