Vinícius Júnior handed four-match league ban and will miss Barcelona clásico

Vinícius Júnior has received a four-match suspension in the Spanish league, ruling the Real Madrid forward out of the clásico at Barcelona on 25 October. The Guardian reported that the punishment followed his dismissal for pulling an opponent's hair and protesting against the referee. The ban was announced before Madrid's Champions League match at Roma on Wednesday.

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Speaking after Madrid's 4-3 victory, Vinícius disputed the severity of the sanction. He said he had been trying to move an opponent out of his way when his hand became caught in the player's hair, and denied using offensive language towards the referee. That was the Brazilian's account of the incident; the four-game suspension remained the punishment reported by the newspaper.

Vinícius also argued that referees should do more to protect attacking players, naming Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Atlético Madrid's Julián Álvarez alongside himself. He complained that opponents could repeatedly foul him while he risked receiving a booking. His remarks set out his objections to the way matches are officiated, rather than establishing that referees had deliberately treated him differently from other players.

Madrid manager José Mourinho criticised the timing of the announcement. According to The Guardian, Mourinho said the squad learned about the suspension while travelling by bus to the stadium, around two hours before kick-off. His complaint focused on a player receiving that news during preparations for an important European fixture, with the disciplinary penalty applying to the Spanish league.

The match in Rome also brought renewed scrutiny of Vinícius's form. He was substituted in the 59th minute and has not scored for Madrid since August. Madrid recovered from 3-1 down, with his replacement Endrick scoring the equaliser in the 85th minute before Antonio Rüdiger supplied the winner in the 90th. Vinícius acknowledged that he was below his best but expressed confidence that his performances and goals would return.

The forward also addressed his visible frustration at being taken off, saying he wanted to play every match while accepting that substitutions could help the team. He described his relationship with Mourinho positively and acknowledged that Madrid improved after the change. Having signed a six-year contract extension, Vinícius reiterated his commitment to helping the club, although the league suspension now includes its meeting with Barcelona.