La Liga: Vinicius sent off against Villarreal, heavily criticized by the Spanish press

Vinicius Junior's sending-off during Real Madrid's 1-0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday has sparked strong reactions in Spain. Several Spanish media outlets believe the red card shown to the Brazilian winger was indisputable after his challenge on Canadian defender Nathan Saliba. The Madrid player now risks a suspension that could cost him his place in the next Clásico.

Real Madrid's victory against Villarreal in the eighth round of La Liga was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Vinicius Junior. Having come on as a substitute in the 52nd minute, the Brazilian forward thought he had secured the win for his team by scoring a second goal in the 71st minute, assisted by Jude Bellingham. However, after a VAR review, referee Isidro Díaz de Mera disallowed the goal before immediately sending off the Madrid player for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair.

The referee's decision was widely approved by the Spanish press. "A narrow victory and a red card for Vinicius," summarized Mundo Deportivo on its front page. Sport, for its part, described a lackluster victory, marred by the Brazilian's perceived ridiculous red card, while the newspaper devoted most of its front page to FC Barcelona's latest demonstration of skill, their 3-0 victory over Getafe.

Vinicius between regret and protest

Aware of his mistake, the Brazilian international quickly apologized on Instagram, asking forgiveness from his team and the fans. But he wasted no time in expressing his dissatisfaction with what he felt was the referee's treatment of him.

In a story posted on the same social network, Vinicius shared several screenshots of fouls committed against him that, according to him, went unpunished. "And the one who always gets a yellow and a red card is Vinicius. What a shame!" he wrote, accompanied by emojis expressing his irony.

On Radio Marca, refereeing consultant Pablo González Fuertes also felt the expulsion was justified. According to him, the disallowed goal was rightly called off, as the Real Madrid player's gesture constituted a clear hair-pulling incident involving Nathan Saliba.

Marca echoed this sentiment. Its deputy director, Juan Ignacio García-Ochoa, pointed out that pulling an opponent's hair can result in a straight red card. He also emphasized that Vinicius should have been aware of this rule, especially given the recent spate of similar incidents in international football.

Is the Clasico in jeopardy for the Brazilian?

Beyond the controversy, Vinicius could face significant disciplinary consequences for his actions. Mundo Deportivo's editor-in-chief, Pablo Planas, cites the precedents of Johan Mojica in May 2026 and Ferran Torres in January 2023. Both were sent off for similar actions and received two-match suspensions.

If the disciplinary committee imposes a similar sanction, the Madrid winger could miss the Clasico against FC Barcelona, scheduled for October 25 at Camp Nou, as part of the 10th round of La Liga.

A potential absence would be a major blow for Real Madrid, given the importance of this match in the title race. While awaiting the disciplinary decision, Vinicius finds himself at the center of a controversy he could have done without.