Vinicius Jr Hit With Four-Match La Liga Ban, Out of El Clasico at Barcelona

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has been handed a four-match La Liga suspension that rules him out of the first El Clasico of the season against Barcelona. Spain's Competition Committee confirmed the ban on Wednesday following the Brazilian's red card in last Saturday's 1-0 home win over Villarreal, with Madrid's appeal rejected after the club argued the punishment was disproportionate. The 26-year-old came off the bench in the second half and thought he had doubled the lead on a quick counter-attack, only for VAR to intervene. Review footage showed Vinicius pulling Nathan Saliba's hair in the build-up, prompting referee Isidro Diaz de Mera to disallow the goal and show a straight red card. The committee ruled two matches for violent conduct — classified as such because the ball was not being contested — and two more for the player's aggressive protests at the decision. Vinicius will now miss Sunday's home game against Sevilla, the October 25 trip to Camp Nou, plus the away fixture at Racing Santander and the visit of Valencia. Missing the Clasico is the heaviest blow: Barcelona lead La Liga with 24 points from eight games while Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid sit fourth on 18, six points adrift. The winger apologized on Instagram after the sending-off and remains available for Champions League action in the meantime.