Vinicius Jr handed four-match ban: Real Madrid star to miss El Clasico against Barcelona

Vinicius Jr is back at the centre of the conversation at Real Madrid. The Brazilian winger was sent off against Villarreal last weekend and the Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee has now imposed a four-match ban, a punishment that keeps him out of El Clasico against Barcelona. The decision, announced just two hours before the Champions League clash with Roma, sparked an angry response from Jose Mourinho and reopened questions about the forward's form.

• Vinicius Jr will serve a four-match suspension: two games for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair and two more for his protests to the referee.
• The Brazilian will miss league fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia.
• Jose Mourinho slammed the timing of the announcement, made two hours before the Champions League game against Roma.
• The player admitted he is not at his best and defended his commitment to the club after signing a six-year extension.

Why Vinicius has been banned for four matches

The turning point came in the second half of the league match. Vinicius entered the game in the 52nd minute and soon found the net after a Jude Bellingham assist. What looked like Real Madrid's second goal turned into a nightmare: the referee was sent to the monitor and saw the Brazilian pulling Nathan Saliba's hair while the ball was in play and neither player was challenging for it.

The official disallowed the goal and showed Vinicius a straight red card. Far from calming down, the forward continued to protest so intensely that his own teammates had to step in. That reaction after the dismissal has cost him two additional matches, on top of the two handed down for the hair-pulling incident.

Which matches Vinicius will miss and what it means for Real Madrid

The suspension leaves Real Madrid without one of their most dangerous attacking weapons for a full month of domestic action. Vinicius will be unavailable against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia. The meeting with Barcelona, scheduled for Sunday next week, is the biggest blow for the club unless an appeal changes the outcome.

The ban arrives at a delicate moment for the Brazilian. He has gone six appearances without scoring for Real Madrid, with his last goal coming in August against Real Sociedad. The Portuguese coach had already left him on the bench against Villarreal, the first time since April that he had not started for the club, and handed Yan Diomande a place in the starting XI instead.

Mourinho furious over the timing of the ban

The announcement of the punishment set Jose Mourinho off. The committee's resolution was made public two hours before the Champions League match against Roma, a detail the Portuguese manager described as a lack of respect towards the club.

Do you think it is normal for a player who is going to play an important match for Spanish football to find out two hours before that he has been sanctioned with four games? You do not need to answer me. It is not normal. Could they not have done it now or tomorrow morning? We found out on the bus and almost arrived at the stadium.

Mourinho even suggested the timing was intentional, given the demanding schedule Real Madrid face over the coming days. After the win over Roma, the manager had also refused to speak to the press following the Villarreal game, aware that any extra word could have landed him a suspension of his own.

Vinicius responds: self-criticism and a promise to rediscover his best form

After the 4-3 victory over Roma, Vinicius faced the media and did not shy away from self-criticism. He admitted he is not going through his brightest spell and said the European comeback had given the squad a huge lift.

I know I am not at my best right now, but I have had worse moments and, even when people doubted me, I have always stood up for this club. That is why I renewed for six more years. The good streak will return and the goals will come back. I am sure of that. I have no doubt. I am here to help the team.

The forward also expressed surprise at the severity of the punishment. He explained that he tried to get past his marker and ended up grabbing his hair, that he understood the red card, but that he never said a bad word to the referee to deserve a four-game suspension. Hours earlier he had apologised to the fans and his teammates on social media.

From Bernabeu whistles to bizarre body-double conspiracy theories

This is not the first time this season that Vinicius has heard whistles from sections of the Santiago Bernabeu. The Brazilian has dealt with signs of disapproval at various points of the campaign, a pressure that has been compounded by an unusual amount of off-pitch noise.

Over the summer, negotiations over his new contract dragged on for more than eighteen months and Arsenal were reportedly among the clubs interested in the Brazilian. He eventually signed an improved deal, but the headlines have kept coming. After undergoing a cosmetic procedure on his chin in July, social media users spread conspiracy theories claiming he had been replaced by a body double. His personal life has also dominated coverage in Brazil in recent days.

While the internet continues searching for extraordinary explanations for the Brazilian's dip in form, Real Madrid need answers on the pitch. The win over Roma, coming from two goals down, brought some relief to a team that must now navigate the league without their star for a month.

Frequently asked questions about Vinicius Jr's suspension