José Mourinho did not at all like the way Vinicius Junior learned of his four-match La Liga suspension. Sent off last weekend against Villarreal (1-0) after pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair, the Brazilian winger received two suspensions for his action, to which were added two additional matches for his behavior towards the referee. But it was above all the timing of the announcement which angered the Real Madrid coach. The verdict came only an hour before the Champions League clash against AS Roma, while the Madrilenians were on the bus. “ Do you find it normal for a player from a Spanish club to receive information of a four-match suspension an hour before the match? Couldn’t they have done it now? Or tomorrow morning? Did he really have to learn it on the bus? It’s scandalous! », Launched the Portuguese technician, particularly pumped up after the victory against Roma.
Mourinho went even further, accusing the Spanish authorities of having deliberately sought to destabilize his player before an important European meeting. “ Everything is now out in the open. They are no longer hiding. They tried to break the player mentally an hour before the match. For what ? It’s a Spanish team, why try to demoralize them? », he got carried away. A particularly virulent outing as this sanction comes at the worst time for Real Madrid. Vinicius will notably miss the trip to Seville, the Clasico against FC Barcelona, as well as the matches against Racing de Santander and Valencia. Already in difficulty on an individual level since the start of the season, the Brazilian will have to wait before returning to La Liga pitches, even if he remains available in the Champions League. An absence which could also offer more playing time to Yan Diomandé, already decisive against Villarreal and candidate for a starting place in the Madrid attack.
