Vinicius Sent Off for Hair-Pull as Real Madrid Edge Villarreal 1-0; Diomande Scores First Goal
The €140m record signing breaks his duck, but Madrid finish with ten men and sit six points behind Barcelona.
Vinícius Júnior Apologises to Teammates and Fans After Hair-Pull Red Card; Mourinho Skipped Press Conference
Photo: Legit.ng
Vinícius Júnior has apologised after his red card in Real Madrid's 1-0 La Liga win over Villarreal on Saturday. "Sorry to my team and my fans," he wrote on Instagram, according to a One Football report cited by Legit.ng. The post did not mention Villarreal's Nathan Saliba, whose hair he pulled.
After a VAR review, referee Isidro Diaz de Mera disallowed Vinícius's goal and showed him a straight red card; Madrid played the last stretch with ten men from the 73rd minute. Jose Mourinho was visibly angry, was booked, and had to be held back by staff. Goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos was sent off, and Mourinho skipped his post-match press conference, reportedly to avoid a ban that could keep him off the bench against Sevilla and Barcelona.
People in the dressing room told reports that Vinícius did not intend to hurt his opponent and that the squad is closing ranks around him, though the mood is described as unsettled. Legit.ng's headline says he apologised to Mourinho, but the body of the article does not report that.
Sources: Legit.ng: Vinicius apologises
