Gerard López calls Vinicius’s hair-pulling act ‘dirty and treacherous’

Gerard López called Vinicius’s act «ugly, dirty and treacherous» after it led to the player’s dismissal. The red card shown to Vinicius Junior by Díaz de Mera on Saturday at the Bernabéu, against Villarreal, continues to prompt discussion. The incident has also angered Real Madrid supporters and drawn opinions from across football.

Vinicius pulled Saliba’s hair in the build-up to a goal that would have made it 2-0. Gerard López, a Movistar commentator, said the act was «not controversial» and that the red card was clear-cut. «It’s the sort of thing we did in the school playground, where it ended in a fight,» he said. In his view, the episode has grown bigger because it happened at the Bernabéu, involved Vinicius and came just before a goal.

Jorge Valdano offered a different interpretation: he considers the action instinctive and does not believe Vinicius intended to assault his opponent. Views therefore differ over intent, while the decision arising from the incident continues to be debated.