14 October 2026 8:20 pm WAT
Jose Mourinho
Real Madrid coach José Mourinho has questioned the timing of the announcement of Vinicius Junior’s reported four-match La Liga suspension, arguing that the news should not have been released shortly before the Spanish club’s crucial UEFA Champions League fixture.
Mourinho criticised the Spanish Refereeing Committee for publishing details of the Brazilian forward’s ban minutes before Real Madrid’s European match, asking why the announcement could not have been made at another time.
According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who shared the comments on X, Mourinho said: “Ask Spanish Refereeing Committee why they published the news about Vini’s ban minutes before he plays an important UCL game.
“Real Madrid is a Spanish club, so why publish it now?”
Vinicius is reportedly facing a four-match suspension that could rule him out of domestic fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia.
The proposed ban could see the forward miss El Clásico against Barcelona, one of the most anticipated fixtures in Spanish football.
His potential absence would be a major setback for Real Madrid, given his importance to the team’s attacking play.
Mourinho’s complaint centres on the timing of the announcement rather than the details of the punishment, with the coach questioning why the information was made public shortly before an important European fixture.
Real Madrid now face the prospect of managing their Champions League campaign while preparing for key domestic matches without one of their most influential attacking players, should the suspension stand.
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