At the centre of a major controversy in Spain following his red card against Valencia FC last Friday, Vinicius Junior has finally learned his fate. Meeting on Tuesday, the Spanish Football Federation’s Competition Committee officially ruled with a significant announcement.
Travelling to Mestalla to face the local club in the postponed match from the 12th round of La Liga last Friday, Vinicius Junior once again made headlines. While last year, the Brazilian star made waves with a strong protest against the racist chants directed at him in this stadium, this year, he lost his temper again. In a match where the refereeing was subpar and where Real Madrid struggled until the final ten minutes, the FIFA The Best 2024 player responded violently to a provocation from Valencia’s goalkeeper, Dimitrievski. After the VAR intervention, which spared the opposing goalkeeper, Vinicius was sent off and stormed off the pitch in anger.
The final sanction for Vinicius Junior
While several media outlets discussed the possibility of a severe punishment ranging from 4 to 12 matches due to the circumstances, the referee’s report by Cesar Soto Grado spared Vinicius Junior from the worst. Indeed, as reported by Marca and AS on Tuesday, the Spanish Football Federation’s Competition Committee, which met to deliberate on the matter, imposed a two-match suspension on the Madrid star. Based on the central referee’s report, which did not classify the Brazilian’s action as an assault on the Valencia goalkeeper, the RFEF opted for the lightest penalty.
In addition to this suspension, the Brazilian player will have to pay a fine of €600,000. Real Madrid, on the other hand, has been fined €700,000, a decision that has not been well received by the club’s leadership, who are considering appealing this sanction announced by the Spanish Football Federation on Tuesday.
The matches Vinicius will miss
Overall, this sanction is not so harsh for Real Madrid and the player. While Carlo Ancelotti had stated that the Spanish capital club would appeal to have the red card annulled, considering it exaggerated due to the initial action from the Valencia goalkeeper, which went unpunished, things will not unfold as the Madrid leaders had hoped. With only a two-match suspension, Vinicius Junior will be available for the 2025 Spanish Super Cup this week, which will be broadcast on the mentioned channels.
In short, the 24-year-old player will only miss the matches against Las Palmas on 19 January and Real Valladolid on 25 January in the league. It’s worth noting that in Spain, the punishment handed to Vinicius is not universally accepted, as some observers, particularly from Catalonia, had hoped for a heavier sanction of at least 4 matches.
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