‘You want to kill a player’ – Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho blasts Spanish FA over Vinicius Junior ban timing

· YahooSoccer

Jose Mourinho launched a blistering attack against the Spanish FA after learning of Vinicius Junior’s ban just hours before Real Madrid’s Champions League game at Roma.Vinicius received a four-mat...

Jose Mourinho launched a blistering attack against the Spanish FA after learning of Vinicius Junior’s ban just hours before Real Madrid’s Champions League game at Roma.

Vinicius received a four-match domestic suspension after his red card during Saturday’s 1-0 win over Villarreal.

The disciplinary committee’s ruling means he will now miss the Clasico against Barcelona later this month.

Mourinho was furious that the verdict reached the Madrid team bus just two hours before kick-off against Roma.

> He said: “Two hours before the match, a player must know he has a four-match suspension. A Spanish team that has earned three points for Spanish football, for the rankings, for the prestige of Spanish football. You want to kill a player two hours before the match? It doesn’t seem normal to me.”

The verdict appeared to have affected Vinicius who produced an underwhelming display at the Stadio Olimpico.

He lost possession in the build-up to Roma’s second goal before being taken off by Mourinho on the hour mark.

The 26-year-old had only 22 touches in the game and lost possession of the ball on six occasions. He registered zero shots but made one key pass.

Despite Vinicius’ performance, Madrid won the Champions League game by a 4-3 scoreline following a stunning late comeback.

Recovering from 3-1 down, the visitors scored three late goals through Carlos Espi, Endrick and Antonio Rudiger to seal a thrilling European victory.

Vinicius is an elite forward who is highly rated for his blistering pace, dribbling skills and finishing ability.

He has bagged 129 goals and 103 assists in 385 appearances across all competitions for Madrid.

But the Brazil international is struggling for form this campaign. He has scored only one goal in eight La Liga matches.

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