Appeals committee upholds four-match ban for Vinicius: he misses El Clásico

The Spanish Football Federation's Appeals Committee has confirmed this Friday the four-match suspension handed to Vinicius Júnior following his red card in the league meeting with Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica. The decision deals a significant blow to Real Madrid, who lose their main attacking threat for more than a month of domestic action, including El Clásico against Barcelona.

• The Appeals Committee rejects Real Madrid's challenge and keeps the four-match punishment in place.
• Vinicius was sent off for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair in the move that ended with his goal being disallowed.
• He will miss the games against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing de Santander and Valencia.
• Real Madrid will take the case to the Administrative Court of Sport.
• The Brazilian will not play in LaLiga again until the visit to Celta Vigo after the November break.

Why the committee is keeping Vinicius suspension

The Disciplinary Committee had already ruled that the Brazilian must serve a two-match ban for violent conduct away from the play, in a situation where he had no chance of challenging for the ball, along with the corresponding accessory fine. Another two games were added to that first part of the punishment for his protests aimed at the referee, the assistant referee or the fourth official.

The decision now confirmed applies article 5 of the regulations, which provides for accessory fines in cases of violent behaviour off the ball or when play is stopped. The referee's report and the footage of the incident with Saliba carried enough weight to ensure that Real Madrid's written arguments did not reduce the penalty.

Real Madrid claimed a clear and obvious error in the referee's report

On 14 October 2026, Real Madrid submitted their case to the Disciplinary Committee with one main request: to remove the disciplinary consequences of the red card on the grounds that the referee's report contained a clear and obvious error. As a secondary measure, the club asked for a review of how the player's conduct had been classified.

The club also argued that the facts recorded under other incidents in the referee's report could not lead to an autonomous sanction. The Appeals Committee, however, dismissed all those arguments and left the original decision taken by the disciplinary body firmly in place.

Which matches Vinicius will miss due to the LaLiga ban

With the four-match suspension now confirmed, the Brazilian forward will be absent for four consecutive rounds of the domestic championship. The first is the clash with Sevilla, followed by El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu against Barcelona, a match where his absence carries particular weight given his influence in the Madrid attack.

He will also be unavailable for the game against Racing de Santander and the trip to Valencia. The ban will be fully served after that fixture, meaning his LaLiga return is scheduled for after the November international break, on the weekend of 21 and 22 November, against Celta de Vigo.

El Clásico pays the highest price for the suspension

Beyond the overall length of the punishment, Real Madrid's biggest headache is losing Vinicius for the league Clásico. The Brazilian has become a decisive figure in meetings with Barcelona, both for his ability to beat defenders one on one and for his understanding with the team's other attacking players.

The coaching staff will have to reshape the attacking plan for a fixture that often sets the tone at the top of the table. The winger's absence forces other members of the squad to share the attacking minutes and responsibility during a demanding stretch of the schedule.

Real Madrid will take the case to the Administrative Court of Sport

After the Appeals Committee's ratification, Real Madrid will continue to defend their position before the Administrative Court of Sport, the last avenue available to the club in the sporting jurisdiction. The club's strategy is to seek a precautionary suspension of the ban while the substance of the case is resolved.

The fixture calendar works against the Madrid side: unless they secure a favourable interim measure, Vinicius will inevitably miss the four matches already set. Every day without a ruling in the player's favour brings the full punishment closer to being served.