Why Vinícius should miss the classic

BarcelonaVinícius Júnior finds it practically impossible to play in the classic on October 25th against Barça. The Brazilian footballer's expulsion in the Real Madrid - Villarreal (1-0) match, after pulling defender Nathan Saliba's hair, will foreseeably lead to a suspension of between two and three games. The action occurred in the 73rd minute, when Vinícius scored a goal that would have meant 2-0. José Mourinho ran to the corner to celebrate it but, meanwhile, the referee was waiting for the VAR's approval. It did not seem that there was any reviewable action but, surprisingly, the referee went to the monitor on the recommendation of Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz. The Galician showed him the images of the violent conduct and the verdict unleashed the storm: goal disallowed and a direct red card.

The drafting of Isidro Díaz de Mera's referee report is especially damaging to the interests of the white team. The judge from La Mancha described the reason for the expulsion: “For pulling an opponent's hair with the ball in play but not in dispute”. The Referees' Committee manual considers that violent conduct occurs when “a player uses an elbow, a headbutt, a punch, a slap, grabs by the neck, pushes, kicks, bites or pulls the hair... of an opponent or any other person without disputing the ball, using excessive force or brutality”.

A minimum of two games suspension for Vinícius

The Disciplinary Code of the Spanish Football Federation is especially clear in these cases. Article 121 establishes that direct red cards entail, as a general rule, a minimum of a one-match suspension, but raises the punishment to a minimum of two when the footballer has no possibility of disputing the ball. In addition, Article 130, which regulates violent conduct, provides for sanctions of two to three matches when the action occurs outside of play or without the possibility of disputing the ball. Everything points, therefore, to Vinícius being punished with a minimum of two matches, which would correspond to the clashes with Sevilla and Barça.

The Brazilian's situation could become even more complicated due to his reaction after the expulsion. Díaz de Mera stated that: "with the game stopped, Vinícius, after having been sent off, and while he was still on the pitch, continued protesting my decision by shouting, heading towards the area where I was with an aggressive attitude, to the point that he had to be restrained by some of his teammates, without me being able to identify any specific expression". This circumstance leaves open the possibility that the Disciplinary Committee will also evaluate the footballer's subsequent behavior, although it does not automatically imply an additional sanction.

The precedents do not favor Real Madrid

There are recent precedents that reinforce the forecast of a minimum of two matches. In May 2026, Johan Mojica, then a Mallorca footballer, received this sanction after pulling Roger Brugué's hair in a match against Levante. In January 2023, Ferran Torres was also punished with two matches for a similar action on Stefan Savic during an Atletico Madrid-Barça game. In both cases, the inability to challenge for the ball was decisive. On the other hand, Diego Percan, from Cordoba, only received a one-match sanction last May for hair pulling in an action where the ball was indeed in play.

The resolution from the Disciplinary Committee is expected at the beginning of next week. Real Madrid will have the possibility to file an appeal to try to reduce the sanction, but their options are very slim. There is no image that carries enough weight to contradict the facts recorded in the referee's report. In this way, and unless there is an unexpected turn in the disciplinary process, José Mourinho will not be able to count on Vinícius in the El Clásico at Camp Nou.