Cucurella Fumes After Vinicius Red Card: “If Someone Touches One Hair of Mine, Give Them a Red”

Vinícius was not the only one who exploded with anger after the red card at the Bernabéu. Another player walked to the touchline and said a line that the cameras caught, and it quickly spread everywhere.

The irony is that the man who said it had been the victim of an almost identical incident just months earlier, in one of the biggest games of his career.

The player is Real Madrid full-back Marc Cucurella. DAZN cameras showed him protesting strongly against Vinícius Júnior’s red card in the 73rd minute of Saturday’s game against Villarreal, after referee Isidro Díaz de Mera disallowed the Brazilian’s goal and sent him off following a VAR review for pulling Saliba’s hair.

According to Marca, Cucurella went to the touchline where assistant referee Francisco García, who had flagged the incident between Vinícius and Saliba, was standing, and told him while pointing his finger: “I hope… I hope that if someone touches one hair of mine, you give them a red. You go to the VAR.”

It happened in front of Chendo and Bernardo Silva, who stepped in to pull his teammate away and bring him back onto the pitch, while several Real Madrid players had to lead an angry Vinícius away from the scene to stop things escalating.

Mundo Deportivo pointed out that Cucurella’s protest looks strange, because he was the victim of a similar action while playing for Chelsea in the 2025 Club World Cup final, when Portuguese player João Neves pulled his hair, was sent off and was banned for two games.

Vinícius is now very close to missing El Clásico against Barcelona on October 25 through suspension, while Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1-0 thanks to a goal from Yan Diomande.