Real Madrid forward punished with two-match ban over Valencia incident | OneFootball

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. has officially been handed a two-match suspension following his red card during the game against Valencia, reports SPORT.

The incident involved an altercation with Stole Dimitrievski, during which Vinicius struck the goalkeeper in the face with his hand.

This action prompted referee Soto Grado to review the situation using VAR, leading to the player’s dismissal from the pitch. The situation escalated further as several Real Madrid teammates and staff had to intervene to calm the visibly agitated Brazilian.

Initially, there were rumours that Vinicius could face a longer suspension, but the referee’s post-match report played a crucial role in determining the length of the ban.

What did the referee report?

Although Soto Grado acknowledged during the VAR review that the ball was not in play at the time of the incident, his official match report did not include this detail. This omission was significant in how the disciplinary action was interpreted.

Vinicius Jr. has recieved a two-match ban. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Had the incident been classified as aggression, Vinicius could have faced a suspension ranging from four to twelve matches.

However, due to the way the report was worded, the incident was instead viewed as an act of violence occurring within the context of the game.

Under these circumstances, the disciplinary committee considered a sanction of one to three matches. Ultimately, it was decided that Vinicius would serve a two-match suspension.

Matches he will miss

As a result, the Brazilian winger will miss Real Madrid’s upcoming La Liga fixtures. He will be unavailable for the home match against Las Palmas at the Santiago Bernabeu on January 19 and the game against Real Valladolid on January 25.

However, Vinicius will still be eligible to play in the UEFA Champions League match against RB Salzburg on January 22, minimising his time away from competitive football.

Overall, the suspension is relatively lenient given the circumstances and is unlikely to significantly impact either the player or the team. Vinicius is expected to return to action without any major disruption to Real Madrid’s campaign.