Antonio Rudiger and Real Madrid Staff Escort Furious Vinicius Off the Field After Red Card during the match with Valencia

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior had a frustrating start to 2025, receiving a controversial red card during the team’s dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Valencia.

The Brazilian forward was sent off for shoving Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski during a heated exchange. 

The altercation escalated tensions on the pitch, with Vinicius needing to be escorted off by teammate Antonio Rudiger and Real Madrid staff to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

Vinicius Junior’s Red Card Incident

The incident occurred when an agitated Vinicius reacted to the game’s intensity by shoving Dimitrievski. Though the contact was minor, the Valencia goalkeeper dramatically fell to the ground, prompting a VAR review. 

The referee showed no hesitation in issuing a straight red card, leaving the 24-year-old winger visibly upset.

Rudiger and Staff Intervene

As Vinicius directed his frustrations toward the referee, Rudiger and Real Madrid staff stepped in to calm him down and lead him off the field. 

Videos circulating online show the visibly irate player being ushered away to avoid further disruption.

Look I’m not saying other players don’t provoke him but Vini behaving like this is not it. It’s costing us. He will be suspended for so many games now. The leaders of the team and club need to have a sit down with him and knock some sense into him pic.twitter.com/GOQFl1i9v7

— WolfRMFC (@WolfRMFC) January 3, 2025

Real Madrid’s Comeback Without Vinicius

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Real Madrid mounted an impressive late-game rally. 

Goals from Luka Modric and Jude Bellingham sealed the victory, lifting Los Blancos to the top of the La Liga table, narrowly surpassing Atletico Madrid, albeit with an extra game played.

Massive win with 10 men for Real Madrid! ⚪️

+5 points over Barça in La Liga table. 📈 pic.twitter.com/vJUUpR90JB

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 3, 2025

Vinicius and the Mestalla Curse

The Mestalla remains an unlucky ground for Vinicius. This marks his second red card at Valencia’s home stadium, following a similar incident in May 2023, though that decision was overturned on appeal. 

Real Madrid is expected to explore the possibility of appealing his latest dismissal as well.

What’s Next for Real Madrid?

Real Madrid now shifts focus to their Copa del Rey clash against Deportivo Minera on January 6. With Vinicius unavailable, manager Carlo Ancelotti will need to adjust his squad to sustain the team’s momentum across competitions.

For more updates on Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior, stay tuned!