The Spanish Football Federation has canceled the red card decision against Vinicius Junior, the Real Madrid forward, after he faced racist chants during the match against Valencia last Sunday. Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea sent off the Brazilian player during stoppage time after he allegedly assaulted a Valencia player, while one of the home team's players was holding Vinicius Junior by the neck.
The Federation stated in a press release: "The Competition Committee of the Spanish Federation believes that the referee's evaluation was made without considering the incident fully, which ultimately affected his decision." It explained that "the referee was not informed of the facts, which led him to make an arbitrary decision, as it was impossible for him to properly assess what occurred."
Additionally, the Spanish Federation fined Valencia €45,000 ($49,536) and closed the southern stand of the Mestalla Stadium for five matches. On Tuesday, Spanish police detained seven individuals and charged them with various offenses.
