Spanish League: Vinicius Suspended for Four Matches, Misses El Clásico

Real Madrid’s Brazilian international Vinicius Junior will miss the Clásico against traditional rivals and current La Liga leaders and defending champions Barcelona after being handed a four-match ban. The suspension follows his red card last Saturday for pulling the hair of a Villarreal player during the eighth round of the Spanish top flight.

On Wednesday, the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee confirmed that the Brazilian forward would be suspended for four matches, including the October 25 clash with Barcelona. The sanction stemmed from a red card and the subsequent protests after he pulled the hair of Villarreal midfielder Nathan Sierro during a counterattack that had initially seen him score his team’s second goal, only for the goal to be disallowed after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.

The committee clarified that the punishment comprises a two-match ban for the red card and an additional two-match suspension for his protests toward the referee.