Real Madrid’s Vinicius says he’s being targeted by referees

What the report says

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has said he feels referees are treating him unfairly and that attacking players such as Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez need more protection. Al Jazeera, citing The Associated Press, reported that Vinicius made the comments after Madrid’s 4-3 Champions League comeback win at Roma on Wednesday, as he acknowledged he is in a poor run of form but said he expects to recover his best level.

His remarks came on the same day he was suspended for four matches in Spain after a sending-off for pulling an opponent’s hair and protesting to the referee. Vinicius disputed the severity of the punishment and argued that similar incidents have not been met with the same response. He said he has been fouled frequently but believes yellow and red cards often fall more heavily on creative forwards than on defenders.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho also questioned the timing of the suspension announcement, saying the team learned of it only hours before kickoff. Vinicius, who has not scored for Madrid since August, was substituted in the match before Real Madrid completed the comeback with late goals from Endrick and Antonio Rudiger. He said the result could help the team reset and that he remains committed to the club.

Because of the ban, Vinicius will miss Madrid’s upcoming league matches, including the weekend meeting with Sevilla and the following week’s El Clasico against Barcelona.