Madrid Star Set to Miss El Clasico, Handed Four-Match Ban

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has been handed a four-match suspension following his dismissal during the club’s LaLiga clash with Villarreal last week.

According to a report by Flashscore on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, the Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee imposed a two-match ban for violent conduct and a further two matches for protesting against the referee after his red card.

The decision means Vinicius will miss Real Madrid’s highly anticipated El Clasico against Barcelona on October 25, dealing a blow to Jose Mourinho’s side ahead of the meeting with their biggest rivals.

The disciplinary committee ruled that the Brazilian had acted violently while not challenging for the ball. The additional punishment was linked to his reaction following the dismissal.

Vinicius was sent off against Villarreal after a VAR review examined an incident in which he pulled Nathan Saliba’s hair. The decision also led to a goal scored by the winger being disallowed.

The 26-year-old reacted angrily to the decision and had to be restrained by his teammates as he confronted referee Isidro Diaz de Mera. Mourinho also expressed his frustration with the officiating and declined to attend his post-match press conference.

Madrid nevertheless secured a 1-0 victory, although the result left them six points behind LaLiga leaders Barcelona, according to the report.

Following the incident, Vinicius apologised to his teammates and the club’s supporters in a social media post, writing: “I am sorry to the team and the fans.”

The suspension will also rule him out of Madrid’s league fixtures against Sevilla on October 18, Racing Santander on November 1 and Valencia on November 7.

The punishment comes at a challenging point in the Brazilian’s campaign, having scored just once in nine appearances. He also began the Villarreal encounter on the bench before coming on as a substitute.

Vinicius’ absence will be a concern for Madrid ahead of their trip to Camp Nou, where Mourinho is set to experience his first El Clasico since returning as head coach this summer.

Barcelona, meanwhile, were reported to have won all 10 of their matches across competitions under Hansi Flick at the time of the report, adding further significance to the upcoming showdown.

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