As a result of the referee’s report from César Soto Grado, Vinícius Júnior, the player who was at the center of a controversial incident that occurred during Real Madrid’s first match of 2025 versus FC Valencia, is now facing the possibility of receiving a substantial punishment from the Spanish Football Federation.
After being unable to participate in Real Madrid’s previous Liga encounter against Sevilla FC owing to a needless yellow card, which Carlo Ancelotti did not approve of, Vinícius Júnior found himself involved in yet another terrible occasion. Because of Valencia’s strong defensive formation, the Brazilian winger had a difficult time displaying his full potential throughout the encounter against FC Valencia. Vinícius, who had been trailing Real Madrid by a score of 1-0 since the 27th minute, lost his composure in the 79th minute for Real Madrid.
For behavior such as this, the rules of La Liga advise a ban of between four and twelve games. Stole Dimitrievski, the goalie for Valencia, provoked Vinícius by punching him in the neck after another fruitless attempt at offensive play. Vinícius’s reaction led to Dimitrievski being injured. The referee, César Soto Grado, handed a red card for this action, which was judged dangerous, after the video assistant referee (VAR) reviewed the situation. Carlo Ancelotti has stated that the red card was not warranted and has acknowledged that Real Madrid would appeal the decision; nonetheless, the circumstances appear to indicate that a severe punishment is likely to be imposed. According to various British media outlets and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), Vinícius may be subject to a harsh punishment, which could even result in him missing the forthcoming Spanish Supercup.
The potential punishment is now more evident, despite the fact that many football observers and some Madrid supporters agree with the judgment made by the referee, believing that Vinícius should not have replied with an aggressive action. Per the provisions of Article 103 of the RFEF disciplinary rule, Vinícius’s acts have the potential to result in a suspension ranging from four to twelve matches. As a result of the fact that the ball was not in play at the time of the conflict, the activity can be categorized as aggressive in accordance with the regulations of La Liga. This indicates that Vinícius may be subject to a suspension for a minimum of four matches, beginning with the Spanish Supercup that will take place in Saudi Arabia the following week. This ban would be a significant setback for Real Madrid’s goals, especially when taking into consideration the significance of Vinícius to the club.
It is essential to have a comprehensive report from the referee in order to determine the sanction. The report, as reported by Marca, a pro-Madrid outlet, goes as follows: “In the 79th minute, player Vinícius was expelled for intentionally hitting an opponent in the head, without the ball being contested, and with a significant amount of force.” When the athlete was finally kicked out of the club, club members had to physically restrain him and take him to the locker room while he continued to complain. A report that portrays a picture of a major altercation and argues that a substantial penalty is unavoidable for Vinícius’s most recent outburst, which has garnered criticism from a number of club legends, is presented below.
Despite the fact that Mestalla is well recognized as a hostile atmosphere, particularly due to the fact that certain supporters have shown racial enmity towards Vinícius, it is critically important for him to maintain control of his emotions. If he wants to build a legacy in world football that will last for generations to come, many people believe that he still has a lot of room for improvement. The official verdict will be communicated to us by the disciplinary body of La Liga at the beginning of the next week.
