OFFICIAL: Vinicius suspended for 2 games + €600 fine for violent attack on Valen goalkeeper

On January 8, the Spanish Royal Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee announced the penalty decisions following a review meeting on January 7 regarding the recent match between Valencia and Real Madrid. Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior, who received a red card during the game, has been suspended for two matches.

According to the federation's review document, Vinícius was penalized for committing a violent act during a dead ball situation, resulting in a two-match ban. Additionally, both the club and the player will face fines of €700 and €600, respectively, in accordance with Article 130.2 of the Spanish Royal Football Federation's disciplinary regulations.

The document also specifies Real Madrid's appeal, which requests the cancellation of Vinícius's red card. The club contends that there are clear factual errors in the referee's report and that the decision to dismiss Vinícius was based on an incomplete and biased assessment of the incident, violating the principles of integrity, proportionality, and fairness that should govern sporting conduct. They provided three specific arguments:

1.Before Vinícius was sent off, he was subjected to severe racial abuse, which was not recorded in the referee's report and did not prompt any action from the match officials.

2.The VAR footage provided to the referee omitted crucial details, failing to show the key precursor to the incident: Valencia goalkeeper Dimitrievski had provoked Vinícius with an aggressive act. This action directly triggered Vinícius's response, leading to his dismissal. Real Madrid detailed this incident in their appeal and cited previous similar cases as support, such as:
On May 23, 2023, the Disciplinary Committee annulled a red card issued to the same player from the previous season.
On December 7, 2023, Madrid's 47th and 32nd social courts issued rulings regarding the red card incident.

3.Vinícius displayed spontaneous remorse after the match, and the ongoing psychological pressure from opposing fans and players should be considered mitigating factors in his punishment.

In response to Real Madrid's appeal, the federation provided the following points:

1.After reviewing the video evidence, the committee determined that it clearly showed the actions recorded in the referee's report, which Real Madrid did not deny. Therefore, there is no basis to claim that the referee's judgment contained significant errors, and the committee does not have the authority to override the referee's technical decisions.

2.Although Real Madrid argued that the VAR footage did not fully reflect the facts, the committee found that the referee had reviewed the complete VAR footage twice, and their ruling was not influenced by any omissions. Thus, there is no evidence of referee bias or procedural error.

3.The committee acknowledged the club's claims of pressure and remorse but stated that these factors do not provide justifiable reasons for Vinícius's improper conduct.

Additionally, the committee noted that formal complaints regarding the racial abuse directed at Vinícius have been received, and an independent investigation will be initiated to address the relevant behaviors.

As a result, the committee decided to uphold the original ruling while also conducting a further investigation into the complaints of racial abuse during the match, urging all parties involved to take measures to eliminate racism.