In Madrid, the disciplinary fallout from Real Madrid’s match with Villarreal now turns on the wording chosen by referee Isidro Díaz de Mera after Vinicius Junior’s 71st-minute dismissal. The Brazilian was shown a red card for pulling the hair of Saliba, described in the report as a Villarreal player, and could face between two and four matches of suspension once the Competition Committee meets on Wednesday.
The incident was reviewed at the pitchside monitor after VAR official Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz alerted Díaz de Mera. During the exchange from the video room, the challenge was described as “violent conduct”, but the referee’s final report leaves room for differing interpretations.
Díaz de Mera recorded that Vinicius was sent off “for pulling an opponent’s hair, with the ball in play, when the ball was not being contested by either player.” That combination of phrases is crucial under Article 130 of the disciplinary code.
One or two matches for the dismissal
If the committee judges the act as violence connected to play, Vinicius could receive a ban of one to three matches. That provision applies to violent actions arising from a passage of play, provided there is risk but no injury.
However, the report also states that neither player was in a position to challenge for the ball. If the panel decides the act occurred outside the game’s active contest, the applicable range rises to two to three matches.
The three-member committee must therefore decide whether the ball merely being in play is enough to link the offence to the match action, or whether the lack of a contest for possession makes it an incident separate from play.
Reaction after the red card also under review
The referee also included Vinicius’s response after being dismissed. Díaz de Mera wrote that, while still on the field, the forward continued to challenge the decision loudly and moved towards the referee in an aggressive manner. Real Madrid team-mates had to restrain him, although the official said he could not identify any specific words.
The most favourable reading for Vinicius would classify that conduct as a minor offence against sporting order, carrying a suspension of up to four matches or a fine of up to €602. In that scenario, a one-game punishment would be the expected starting point.
A stricter ruling could instead apply Article 127, concerning protests towards match officials, or Article 124, which covers disrespectful or contemptuous behaviour towards referees. Both provisions carry bans of two to three matches, unless the conduct is considered a more serious offence.
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The minimum combined outcome is two matches: one for the hair-pulling incident and one for the reaction to the dismissal. A three-game ban could result from either a one-match sanction for the initial offence plus two for the protest, or two for the incident and one for the subsequent behaviour.
The harshest available interpretation would bring four matches in total, with two for violent conduct away from the contest for the ball and another two for the reaction towards the referee.
Whichever route the committee takes, Vinicius is set to miss the Clásico at Camp Nou on the 25th of the month.
