'Shameless' - Mourinho critical of Vinicius Jr ban timing

Key points

• Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr will miss four games, including El Clasico against Barcelona on 25 October, after a four-match ban for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair.
• Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho criticised the timing of the ban's announcement, which came two hours before his side faced Roma in the Champions League.
• The Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee gave Vinicius two games for violent behaviour and two more for protests, and he later apologised on social media.

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has been given a four-game ban and will miss El Clasico against Barcelona on 25 October. The Brazil international was sent off for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair in Real's 1-0 win over Villarreal last Saturday.

The suspension also rules him out of matches against Sevilla on 18 October, Racing Santander on 1 November and Valencia on 7 November. The Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee suspended him for two games for behaving violently while not in a position to challenge for the ball, and for a further two matches for protests to the officials.

Mourinho angry at timing

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho was angered because the decision was announced hours before his side, featuring Vinicius Jr, faced Roma in the Champions League. Mourinho said it was not normal for a player from a Spanish team to learn two hours before a match that he had been given a four-match suspension.

Mourinho said the matter could have been handled the next morning and that "They do things shamelessly now." He added that a player must know about such a ban two hours before the match, and questioned why it was done when the team had earned three points for Spanish football, its rankings and prestige.

Do you think it's normal that a player from a Spanish team, who has to play a match that is also important for Spanish football, that two hours before the match a player knows he's been given a four-match suspension?

— Jose Mourinho

Red card and apology

Vinicius Jr came on after 52 minutes against Villarreal and thought he had scored his side's second goal. The referee reviewed the build-up on the pitchside monitor and, with Vinicius shown to have pulled Saliba's hair before scoring, sent him off and disallowed the goal.

Mourinho did not attend the post-match news conference. Vinicius later apologised on social media, saying he was "sorry to the team and the [Real Madrid] fans".