Vinicius Jr accuses referees of targeting him as he speaks out after being hit with four-game ban

Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior accused referees of unfair treatment and demanded greater protection for creative players after receiving a four-game ban. The suspension followed a red card against Villarreal for pulling the hair of Nathan Saliba during Madrid's 1-0 win. Speaking following Madrid's 4-3 Champions League comeback victory against AS Roma, Vinícius voiced frustration over officiating standards and the timing of the announcement.

The domestic ban will rule the Brazilian winger out of several upcoming fixtures, including El Clasico against Barcelona. Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho criticized the Spanish football authorities for the announcement's timing, describing it as shameless after learning of the suspension shortly before the European match in Italy. Teammates including Endrick and Federico Valverde also publicly defended Vinícius following the ruling.