Vinícius Júnior apologised to his Real Madrid team-mates and the club’s supporters after his sending-off in Saturday’s clash with Villarreal, which Los Blancos won 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu.

According to Spanish media reports, Vinícius took to social media to react to his dismissal. The Brazilian forward posted a short message on his Instagram account after the final whistle, having been shown a red card in the 72nd minute.

“The happiness continues. I apologise to my team and its supporters,” the winger wrote, celebrating the win while expressing regret at leaving his team-mates a man down during the decisive stage of the match.

A controversial dismissal

His sending-off came in one of the most contentious moments of the evening. Having come on as a second-half substitute, Vinícius put the ball in the net and briefly appeared to have doubled Real’s lead. The referee, however, disallowed the goal. The official ruled that he had fouled a Villarreal defender in the build-up, pulling Saliba’s hair during the challenge that preceded the shot.

In the same moment, the referee produced the red card and sent Vinícius off down the tunnel. The Brazilian walked off visibly furious at the decision, gesturing in protest as he went.

Real hold on with ten men

Down to ten players, Real Madrid had to protect their one-goal lead. Yan Diomande had struck the only goal of the match in the 63rd minute, and his side held on for the victory.

Frustration spills onto social media

Not long afterwards, Vinícius vented his frustration again. He shared a new post on his Instagram stories, criticising the refereeing treatment he believes he faces time and again.

“The player who always gets both the yellow and the red card is Vinícius, what a disgrace,” the comment read. It appeared alongside a collection of images from different matches, which the player says show opponents escaping a booking despite fouling him or aiming blows at him.