Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr was shown a straight red card as the Spanish giant show their fighting spirit to beat Valencia 2-1 on Friday night.
Weeks after losing the Ballon d’Or award to Rodri, Vinicius Jr. once again made headlines against Valencia at Mestalla, but this time for the wrong reasons. The Brazilian winger found himself sent off during Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Valencia.
Vinicius in the process recorded his second red card at Mestalla, a venue where he had previously made headlines for his fight against racism.
The Brazilian forward saw red in the second half when he reacted violently to Valencia’s goalkeeper, Stole Dimitrievski, after being reprimanded for his continued complaints about a challenge.
With no ball in play, Vinicius pushed his hands into Dimitrievski’s face, a move that left the referee with no choice but to brandish a red card.
Vinicius Junior argues with Stole Dimitrievski of Valencia CF (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
The referee, Soto Grado, consulted VAR before making the decision to expel Vinicius from the game.
In the match report, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Soto Grado explained the decision: Vinicius was sent off for deliberately hitting an opponent in the head with force, without the ball being involved in the incident.
“In the 79th minute the player (7) De Oliveira Do Nascimento, Vinicius Jose was expelled for the following reason: For hitting an opponent in the head deliberately, without the ball being in dispute, using a significant amount of force.
“Once he was sent off, the player had to be restrained by members of his club and taken to the changing rooms while his protests continued,” he added.
Carlo Ancelotti confirmed after the match that they will appeal the decision, aiming to reduce the length of the suspension. The club will challenge the red card, believing it was an unjust decision and that Vinicius should not have been sent off.
