Vinicius Junior Issues Public Apology Following Hair-Pull Red Card Incident

Last Updated:October 11, 2026, 08:43 IST

Vinicius Junior apologised after being sent off for pulling an opponent’s hair, with the Real Madrid star now facing a suspension that could rule him out of El Clasico.

Vinicius Junior leaves the pitch after being shown a red card during the La Liga match against Villarreal (Picture credit: AP)

Star Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior on Saturday, October 10, apologised for pulling Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba’s hair, for which he was handed a red card and now faces the possibility of missing the upcoming El Clasico.

Vinicius could also miss the crucial El Clasico against Barcelona on Sunday, October 25, depending on the disciplinary committee’s ruling.

Vinícius came on as a second-half substitute but was sent off around 20 minutes later after a VAR review showed him pulling Saliba’s hair.

“The joy continues… Forgive my team and the fans,” Vinicius wrote in an Instagram post.

Following Vinícius’ red card, Jose Mourinho’s Madrid had to navigate the closing stages with 10 men but held on to their narrow lead, bagged by 19-year-old winger Yan Diomande, to move up to third place.

Defending champions Barcelona lead La Liga after a 3-0 victory over Getafe, while Atletico Madrid sit second, five points behind, following a narrow 2-1 win against Alaves.

Despite the victory over Villarreal, Vinícius’ red card was a setback for Los Blancos, with the winger facing a potential suspension that could rule him out of the Clasico against Barcelona on October 25.

“I don’t know what is going on with the referees, with this red card, I don’t understand, but the most important thing is the victory,” Aurelien Tchouameni said after the match.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho had criticised refereeing decisions that went against his team in their derby loss to Atletico Madrid before the recent international break.

Striker Kylian Mbappe was fit to start for Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu despite suffering a knee issue while on international duty with France.

Mbappe was met with scattered whistles from fans who felt he had been unprofessional in recent weeks, while others applauded him.

Mbappe, a contender for the Ballon d’Or later this month, was Madrid’s biggest attacking threat in the first half, although few of his teammates offered much competition.

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