Vinicius could have received the first red card of his Real Madrid career on Tuesday night.
Just weeks after narrowly missing out on the Ballon d’Or to Manchester City’s Rodri, Vinicius Jr found himself back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
During Real Madrid’s Champions League clash against AC Milan, which ended in a 3-1 defeat, Vinicius’ frustrations reached a boiling point, leading to a heated altercation with Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic.
In the 70th minute, with Real Madrid trailing 2-1 and tensions rising, Vinicius snapped after a foul on Yunus Musah wasn’t called in his favour.
His derogatory retort toward Vincic, reportedly calling him “crazy,” could have seen him sent off, but the referee settled for a yellow card instead.
This leniency stirred mixed reactions among fans and experts alike as the 24-year-old was also spotted giving a dismissive hand gesture.
According to AS, former La Liga referee Iturralde González argued that Vinicius’ actions warranted a red card, noting the Brazilian’s recurring hot-headed behaviour on the field.
Interestingly, despite his reputation for fiery reactions, Vinicius has yet to see a red card with the first team—a record that remains intact despite Tuesday night’s outburst.
Madrid’s struggles continue as Los Blancos fall to consecutive defeats
Despite converting a penalty in the 23rd minute, Vinicius could not prevent as second straight defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu, leaving Real Madrid with just six points from their first four Champions League games.
With Vinicius’ temper on display and the team’s performance in decline, Ancelotti’s squad faces mounting pressure to turn things around before the knockout stages slip out of reach.