The Brazilian punched Dimitrievski in the neck after reacting to an earlier incident by the Macedonian goalkeeper.
The sparks turned into a real fire in the 76th minute in the Mestalla against Valencia. Vinícius Júnior, under brutal defensive pressure from Carlos Corberán's Valencia, fell to his knees on the grass and appealed to referee Soto Grado for a penalty.
At that moment, Stole Dimitrievski, who already had a yellow card, approached Vinicius from behind and disputed the criminal charge. Dimitrievski appeared to touch the Brazilian's back and apparently pull his hair slightly.
Vinícius reacted impulsively and tried to push Dimitrievski, but accidentally hit the Macedonian goalkeeper in the neck.
“That's a red card because he hit him in the face. A push to the chest would justify a yellow card unless it is a punch, but the face is untouchable according to the rules,” explains Eduardo Iturralde González, a former international referee and analyst for AS on Cadena SER's Carrusel Deportivo.
After watching the incident on the on-pitch monitor, Soto Grado showed Vinícius a straight red card, marking the Brazilian's first dismissal in seven years of La Liga play. Upon seeing the card, Vinícius jumped up and charged at the referee, needing teammates Rüdiger and Ceballos to restrain him and escort him off the field amid heightened tension and emotion.
A suspension of two to four games is looming
Vinícius now faces a possible suspension of up to four matches, depending on the referee's official report. If the incident is classified as aggression under Article 103 of the RFEF Disciplinary Code, the ban would extend to four matches, to be served consecutively.
This includes matches against Deportiva Minera (Monday, 7pm), the two Spanish Super Cup matches (starting with the semi-final against Mallorca on Thursday at 8pm) and the next Copa del Rey round, provided Real Madrid make progress in both competitions.
“As a precedent, in a recent match between Leganés and Villarreal, Óscar Rodríguez was handed a four-match suspension for violent conduct in a situation where the match was stopped,” Iturralde said. If the act is considered less serious, the suspension would range from two to three games.
Vinícius' first red card at the highest level
This is Vinícius's very first red card in top-flight football. He previously received a red card during his short spell at Real Madrid Castilla in a match against Celta B, where referee Alexander González penalized him for simulating a foul after already being shown a yellow card.
Even before his move to Spain, Vinicius maintained a solid disciplined record during his 69 appearances for Flamengo, receiving nine yellow cards but no dismissals. Likewise, he has never been sent off while playing for Brazil at any level, from youth teams to the senior team, where he has collected a total of six yellow cards.
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