What really happened? Referee and VAR conversation behind Vinicius' red card revealed

The conversation between the referee and VAR during Vinicius Junior's controversial dismissal has been revealed.

Details: On Saturday, October 10, Real Madrid defeated Villarreal 1-0 in LaLiga, but the match was overshadowed by Vinicius Junior's straight red card. The Brazilian appeared to double his team's lead before VAR spotted that he had pulled Villarreal midfielder Nathan Saliba's hair during the attacking move. Referee Isidro Diaz de Mera reviewed the incident, disallowed the goal and sent the forward off.

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The transcript of the conversation between the match referee and the video assistant referee has now emerged, revealing exactly how the officials reached their decision.

VAR: “I recommend you review the footage to assess a possible act of violent conduct during the move that led to the goal.”

Referee: “Okay.”

VAR: “Isidro, wait until they sit down and let us know when you're in front of the monitor.”

Referee: “I'm in front of the monitor.”

VAR: “Okay. From the footage, Vinícius pulls the hair of the Villarreal players.”

Referee: “Alright, I've already seen that incident. It's part of the same attacking phase that ended with the goal.”

Referee: “Show me a wider angle. I want to get a better look at the incident.”

VAR: “Okay.” Referee: “For me, the incident starts with a foul and a red card for number 7 of the home team. Is that correct?”

VAR: “Understood, thank you.”

The incident occurred in the 71st minute, shortly after Vinicius had come on as a second-half substitute. Despite playing the closing stages with ten men, Real Madrid held on to their 1-0 lead thanks to Yan Diomande's goal.

It is worth noting that Vinicius could face a suspension of at least two LaLiga matches, potentially ruling him out of the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona. The final disciplinary decision has not yet been announced.

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