Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior has expressed his dissatisfaction with how referees are treating him, advocating for greater protection for talented players. His comments came after Real Madrid's 4-3 Champions League victory over Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazil international was handed a four-game suspension in the Spanish league just hours before the Roma match. The ban resulted from being sent off for pulling an opponent's hair and protesting against the referee. Vinícius stated he did not recall any other player receiving such a lengthy suspension for similar actions.
Vinícius, who has not scored for Madrid since August, acknowledged he is currently in a slump but is confident he will regain his best form. He also noted that he has seen statistics indicating he has been fouled 500 times, yet this has only led to five red cards for opponents, while yellow cards frequently go to attacking players.
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho also criticised the timing of the suspension announcement, stating the team learned of the ban only two hours before kickoff against Roma. Among the matches Vinícius will miss due to the suspension is the El Clásico against Barcelona on 25 October.