Vinicius Junior red cards raise questions over contrasting La Liga decisions

Vinicius Junior has been sent off twice in similar hair-pulling incidents, but the different outcomes have renewed debate over the consistency of refereeing decisions in La Liga.

The first incident took place at Mestalla in January 2025 during Valencia’s match against Real Madrid. With the game still finely balanced and tensions rising, Vinicius appealed for a foul inside the penalty area before falling to the ground.

Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski approached from behind and pulled the Real Madrid forward’s hair. Vinicius responded by pushing Dimitrievski, sending the goalkeeper to the turf.

A confrontation between players from both teams quickly followed. Referee Cesar Soto Grado initially showed yellow cards to the players involved, but the video assistant referee asked him to review Vinicius’ reaction.

After checking the footage, Soto Grado changed his decision and issued Vinicius a straight red card. Dimitrievski, who was already on a yellow card, was not shown a second booking for the hair-pulling incident that had preceded the Brazilian’s reaction.

The decision intensified the situation. Vinicius protested angrily and confronted Soto Grado before Antonio Rudiger and members of the Real Madrid coaching staff intervened to prevent the incident from escalating. They then accompanied the player towards the dressing room.

After the match, Carlo Ancelotti questioned the referee’s decision, saying the incident could have been dealt with by giving both players a yellow card. Vinicius later apologised for his reaction on social media and thanked his team-mates for their efforts in securing victory.

A similar episode occurred in Real Madrid’s match against Villarreal on the evening before the latest report, although the outcome was different.

Vinicius initially believed he had scored Real Madrid’s second goal. His celebration turned to confusion when the video assistant referee called referee Isidro Diaz de Mera to review an incident that had taken place before the goal.

Television replays showed Vinicius pulling the hair of Nathan Saliba, with neither player competing for the ball at the time. Diaz de Mera ruled that the action warranted a straight red card and disallowed the goal.

Vinicius again protested the decision and had to be restrained by his team-mates before leaving the pitch. Rudiger once more took responsibility for calming the forward and accompanying him away from the field.

The two incidents have prompted fresh questions about why similar actions involving Vinicius produced different disciplinary consequences. In the first case, the Brazilian was dismissed for his response while Dimitrievski avoided a second yellow card; in the second, Vinicius was sent off for the hair pull itself.