Barcelona veteran slams lenient sanction of Real Madrid forward – ‘Don’t think it is fair’ | OneFootball

Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez has voiced his frustration regarding the two-match ban handed to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. after the Brazilian forward’s expulsion in a match against Valencia.

The incident, in which Vinicius clashed with goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski, was deemed not to be an act of aggression.

As a result, his original ban, which could have ranged from 4 to 12 matches, was reduced to just two. This reduction also means that Vinicius will not miss the Spanish Super Cup Final due to this suspension.

What did Martinez say?

Following Barcelona’s victory in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals against Athletic, Martinez took to the mixed zone to share his thoughts on the sanction imposed on Vinicius.

He made it clear that he believes the decision reflects a disparity in how players are treated by the authorities, which he feels is unfair.

Martinez recalled a previous personal experience when he was handed a much harsher penalty for a similar incident, which he believed was less severe than the situation surrounding Vinicius.

He pointed out that he was banned for four matches for an offence that seemed to have been judged more harshly, while others, such as Vinicius, received much lighter punishment.

“I don’t think it’s fair either. There was a sanction, a few years ago, where I was given four games for much less and the issue was not discussed and others were given much less,” he said as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

Martinez’s frustration was evident as he spoke about the inconsistency in disciplinary decisions. He acknowledged that these decisions are ultimately made by the governing bodies and are beyond the control of the players themselves.

However, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the apparent differences in treatment and the lack of consistency in how such cases are handled.

“These are things that others decide and that are not in our hands,” he noted.

This disparity in sanctions has led to further debates about fairness in football’s disciplinary procedures, including one from Barcelona vice president Elena Fort.