José Mourinho made the timing of Vinicius's four-match suspension the story on the eve of AS Roma's meeting with Real Madrid. The Disciplinary Committee made the decision public just two hours before AS Roma vs Real Madrid, and Mourinho said the issue was when it appeared, not the sanction itself.

The announcement Mourinho objected to

Speaking to Estadio Deportivo, Mourinho said: "I think the question is to the Committee: Why has the suspension come out at this moment? If you ask the question, it is surely because you think it can affect. If not, you would not ask me that question."

He was even more pointed in comments quoted by Europa Press: "You should ask the Committee why it did not do it this morning, tomorrow morning and why they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, and do not forget that Real Madrid is a Spanish club," Mourinho said.

The suspension followed Vinicius's sending-off in the 73rd minute against Villarreal, and it rules him out against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing in Santander and Valencia. The cut-off point was the announcement itself, though, and Mourinho clearly wanted that part of the story under a brighter light.

Roma's own injury concern

AS Roma also had a problem of their own before facing Real Madrid. Manu Koné was forced off after 17 minutes against Real Madrid, with Niccolo Pisilli taking his place after the midfielder collapsed on the pitch and left limping.

Koné has logged 415 minutes in 6 Serie A appearances this season, which shows how regularly Roma have used him. His 7.17 rating in Serie A points to a midfielder they have relied on, and he had also already played 53 Champions League minutes this season.

The match itself still carried early pressure in the standings, with Real Madrid 16th after one game and Roma 23rd after one Champions League match. Mourinho's complaint about the timing may stick, but the concrete part of the story is simple enough: Vinicius is banned for four games, and Real Madrid went into the Roma fixture without him.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →