Vinicius Junior recently added another yellow card to his collection in Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey match against Leganes.
However, it wasn’t for the foul itself — it was for how he reacted to the referee’s decision.
This card marked his 11th of the season across all competitions, matching last year’s total.
So, what’s behind Vinícius’ yellow card collection over the last two and a half seasons? It’s not his playing style — it’s his tendency to clash with referees.
Out of the 38 yellow cards he’s racked up during this period, just 10 were for fouls on the pitch.
The remaining 28 were for unsporting behaviour, including protests, confrontations, time-wasting and simulations — a full 17 more than for actual fouls.
While many of his reactions have been triggered by provocation, it’s high time for Viní to rethink how he responds to it.