The referee’s report regarding Vinicius Jr.’s red card in the recent Valencia vs. Real Madrid match has been made public.
The decision to send off the Real Madrid forward followed a warning from the match official, Muniz Ruiz. According to the report, Vinicius was expelled for deliberately striking an opponent in the head with notable force while the ball was not in play, prompting immediate disciplinary action.
Potential Sanctions and Consequences
The Royal Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) Disciplinary Committee will now determine Vinicius’ punishment.
If they classify his actions as aggression, which seems likely based on the referee’s account, he could face a minimum four-match suspension. This would fall under Article 103 of the disciplinary code, which covers aggression-related incidents.
Even if no physical injury occurred, this article allows for a suspension of four to twelve matches for such actions.
This ruling would apply if the incident took place away from the main play or when the ball was out of play, making it difficult for officials to address immediately.
Should the Disciplinary Committee impose this sanction, Vinicius could miss several key matches, including the upcoming Copa del Rey game, both legs of the Super Cup semifinal against Mallorca, and potentially the final if Real Madrid progresses.
Additionally, he might be unavailable for the Copa del Rey Round of 16 and the La Liga clash with Las Palmas on January 19.
Alternative Outcomes
Alternatively, the disciplinary panel could categorize Vinicius’ behavior as a breach of sporting conduct. In this case, the suspension could range from four to ten matches, accompanied by a fine between €602 and €3,006. The severity of the penalty would depend on how the committee interprets the incident.
If the committee considers it to be in-game violence, as per Article 130, a more lenient punishment may be issued. This would mean a suspension of up to three matches, limited to La Liga fixtures, allowing Vinicius to return in time for crucial matches against Las Palmas, Valladolid, and possibly Espanyol.
The Disciplinary Committee’s decision will be crucial in determining how many games Vinicius misses and whether he will be available for key fixtures across all competitions.
