A key moment was when José Mourinho chose to start the Brazilian on the bench for the match against Villarreal, the first since the international break.
It was the first time since last April that Vinicius did not start a match for the club, with Mourinho instead offering Yan Diomande a place in the starting XI.
“What makes me sad is the fact that he really wants to be at his best,” Mourinho said beforehand.
“He wants to be the Vini who wins matches, scores goals and makes the difference. Seeing the pain he himself feels makes me sad. He is an extraordinary guy who is working very hard to get back to his best level.
“He deserves better treatment, because he has made Madrid very happy on several occasions.”
Vinicius has been continually booed and whistled by some Real Madrid fans this season, as well as other players.
After coming on in the 52nd minute, he looked to have made an immediate impact, scoring what Real thought was their second goal after an assist from Jude Bellingham.
Vinicius ran towards the fans, kissing the badge before being engulfed by his teammates, who piled on top of him to celebrate.
Even Mourinho ran onto the pitch to join the celebrations, which looked like a public display of his faith in the Brazilian.
A VAR review changed everything.
The referee was sent to the monitor, which showed Vinicius pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair while the ball was in play and neither player contested it.
The referee ruled out the goal and instead showed Vinicius a straight red card.
The Brazilian’s reaction to the decision then became another disciplinary issue, with his teammates having to intervene as he continued to protest.
Mourinho then refused to speak to the press. News circulated in the media room that Mourinho believed that if he spoke he would say something that would result in his suspension.
Gn sports
