Spain The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) overturned the red card for Vinicius Junior amid protests over racism against the Real striker.
"The RFEF's competition committee considers that the referee made this decision without taking into account the entire game situation, which had an impact on the situation," the RFEF said in a statement. "The fact that the referee was not provided with important information led him to make an arbitrary assessment. It was almost impossible to make the correct decision in this situation."
Vinicius will not be suspended for the next match, when Real meets Vallecano in the early morning of May 25. Photo: Reuters
Vinicius received a red card in stoppage time of Real's 1-0 loss to Valencia in La Liga on May 21. Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea penalized him for a foul on Hugo Duro. The Brazilian striker appeared to have put his hand on his opponent's neck during the final scuffle.
However, this action may have come from the frustration Vinicius suffered from the racist abuse from Valencia fans. At one point, the match was stopped for 10 minutes when the 22-year-old striker pointed out the insults in the stands. At Vinicius' request, referee Bengoetxea asked the home coach Ruben Baraja to use the loudspeaker system to call for an end to the situation, but to no avail.
The action against Vinicius has sparked anger in Brazil. The country's foreign ministry and justice ministry have put pressure on Spain to take drastic action. Real Madrid has filed a complaint with the state attorney general's office. Many influential figures in football have also voiced their support for the Brazilian striker.
On May 22, the RFEF suspended six officials involved in the Valencia-Real match, including VAR referee Iglesias Villanueva. They said he did not provide full information to the main referee Bengoetxea, leading to Vinicius' red card.
On May 23, Spanish police arrested seven people suspected of racially abusing Vinicius. The RFEF also announced a fine of $49,536 for Valencia and ordered the club to close part of the south stand for the next five matches.
Vinh San ( Reuters )
Source link
Comment (0)