Vinicius Jr is likely to miss the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona following his red card in Real Madrid's 1-0 victory over Villarreal. The Brazilian was penalized by referee Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos for pulling the hair of Nathan Saliba during the second half. Although Vinicius had scored a goal that was later disallowed, the red card led to his expulsion from the match.
Read More
The referee's report specified that the incident occurred while the ball was in play but not directly contested, which complicates his situation. Generally, such an offense would result in an automatic one-match ban. However, because the action is deemed 'off the ball,' he is facing a suspension of two to three matches.
Real Madrid intends to appeal any decision that could lead to a three-match suspension, hoping it may be reduced to two matches. Currently, Vinicius is set to miss only the match against Sevilla; however, any additional games suspended will prevent him from participating in El Clasico, in accordance with the RFEF regulations.
There have been past instances of suspensions for hair-pulling incidents. Notably, in May, Mallorca's Johan Mojica received a two-match ban for a similar action. Furthermore, a recent case in the National Women's Soccer League involved Portland Thorns’ Sophia Wilson, who was suspended for two matches for hair-pulling during a game.
The relevant RFEF regulation states that actions categorized as violent conduct can result in suspensions ranging from one to three matches based on the circumstances surrounding the incident.