Vinícius Júnior said referees single him out for rough treatment and called for more protection of players who rely on skill, speaking to reporters after Real Madrid‘s Champions League win over Roma on Wednesday. The Brazilian forward’s comments, quoted by FOX Sports, came days after he was sent off against Villarreal and handed a four-match suspension.
“I’ve seen the stats: I’ve been on the receiving end of 500 fouls, yet that has only resulted in five red cards,” Vinícius said. “In the end, the yellow cards always seem to go to Vini, to the attacking players. We need to protect the players who bring something different to the game, like Lamine at Barcelona or Julián at Atleti. Defenders are allowed to foul me the entire match but in the end it’s me who gets the card.”
The Main Development
Vinícius, 26, made the remarks in the wake of his red card during Real Madrid‘s 1-0 win over Villarreal on Oct. 10. Referee Isidro Díaz de Mera disallowed what Vinícius thought was a goal after video review flagged him for pulling the hair of Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba, then sent him off. Madrid finished the match with 10 men from the 73rd minute, per the Houston Chronicle.
Vinícius was livid in the moment, screaming at the referee as teammates tried to calm him down on his way off the field, according to the Houston Chronicle. He later said the punishment surprised him. “I tried to move the player in front of me out of the way, and I ended up getting caught in his hair. That was it, a red card, which is why I was so surprised,” he said.
What It Means
The red card triggered a four-match ban that will keep Vinícius out of Real Madrid’s games against Sevilla at home, Barcelona on the road in the clasico, Racing Santander and Valencia, all on the road, according to FOX Sports. Real Madrid coach José Mourinho criticized the timing of the ruling, telling reporters, “Do you think it’s normal for a player from a Spanish team, preparing for an important match that’s also crucial for Spanish soccer, to find out about his four-match suspension just two hours before kickoff?”
Vinícius said he has not recalled any other player receiving a four-match suspension for a similar incident, a point that underscores his broader complaint that attacking players draw harsher treatment from officials than the defenders fouling them.
Context: A Difficult Scoring Stretch
The comments arrive during a lean scoring run for Vinícius. He has scored just two goals for club and country all season, one for Real Madrid in the team’s second league match and one for Brazil in a September friendly against Australia, and has not found the net for Madrid since August. Through nine appearances this season, he has set up three goals but scored only once, per ESPN.
Mourinho has addressed that slump separately, telling TNT Sports this week that Vinícius will come good. “He is going to emerge. It’s just a question of when,” Mourinho said.
The coach also explained a tactical shift after Vinícius started a 2-1 derby loss to Atlético Madrid, opting instead to use him as a substitute against Villarreal. “I decided to take a different approach, to protect him a little and then bring him on when the game called for a player like Vini,” Mourinho said, adding that the Bernabéu crowd rallied behind Vinícius as he warmed up to enter that match.
Player Background
Vinícius is in his ninth campaign at Real Madrid and signed a six-year contract extension with the club. Real Madrid went on to beat Roma 4-3 in a Champions League comeback on Wednesday, rallying from a 3-1 deficit after Vinícius was substituted off in the 59th minute.
What’s Next
Vinícius begins serving his four-match suspension with Real Madrid’s upcoming home fixture against Sevilla. He is set to miss the clasico against Barcelona as well as road trips to Racing Santander and Valencia before he is available again. Neither La Liga nor referee Isidro Díaz de Mera has issued a public response to Vinícius’s comments about officiating.
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