Vinicius sent off against Villarreal after VAR review

“What did Vinicius say when he saw red against Villarreal?” The question takes on added significance after the forward was sent off during Real Madrid’s 1-0 win at the Bernabéu. Referee Díaz de Mera showed him a straight red after Vinicius pulled Saliba’s hair. VAR alerted the referee, who reviewed the footage before making his decision.

Footage shown by DAZN captures Vinicius going from celebrating his goal to reacting angrily as he was sent off. Saliba can be seen telling him that he had pulled his hair. Beside them, Bellingham says, “That’s nothing,” while gesturing to the crowd to make some noise. Vinicius loses his temper when Díaz de Mera shows him the card.

“Red? Red?” he repeats as teammates hold him back. He also asks the referee: “Why are you doing that?” As he heads for the dressing room, he says: “What madness!” Isaac Fouto also reported on DAZN that Vinicius told an employee identified as the match director, “Shitty league.”

Meanwhile, Díaz de Mera explained his decision to Mbappé as Cucurella voiced his complaints to the referee. The match thus ended with a sending-off marked by Vinicius’s protests and the exchanges around the referee.