Vinicius Junior left Real Madrid’s 1-0 Liga win over Villarreal with three points for his side but a red card hanging over his own season after an incident involving Nathan Saliba.
The Brazilian winger was sent off on Saturday night after pulling Saliba’s hair. He had briefly thought he had scored before the goal was ruled out, with the dismissal following instead.
Vinicius reacted on Instagram in two contrasting posts. His first message struck an apologetic note towards Real Madrid and the club’s supporters.
“The joy goes on… Sorry to my team and the fans,” he wrote alongside a photograph of himself.
Frustration follows apology
About 20 minutes later, the 26-year-old shared a post from a fan account which complained about the way opponents defend against him. The accompanying montage showed several challenges on Vinicius.
The post said: “The one who gets yellow and red cards is always Vinicius, what a disgrace,” followed by laughing-crying emojis.
The incident could bring a suspension of several matches for Vinicius, who has endured a difficult start to the campaign with Real Madrid. His absence would add another problem after a night in which Madrid secured the result against Villarreal but lost one of their leading attacking players to disciplinary trouble.
