Vinícius Júnior decided the Champions League final on Saturday evening by scoring Real Madrid's second goal after a mistake by Ian Maatsen. However, the Brazilian perhaps should not have still been on the field.
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The forward received a yellow card after just over half an hour for a challenge on goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, but he might have deserved his second yellow five minutes later.
Vinícius clearly dived in a duel with Mats Hummels, but referee Slavko Vincic still called a foul. Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck then received a yellow card for his reaction.
"That was undoubtedly a dive," said TNT Sports analyst José Mourinho. "That should have been a yellow card. And Vinícius knows what the consequences would have been." The VAR could not intervene because it is only allowed to do so in certain situations. If Hummels had received a red card for his alleged foul, the VAR (Nejc Kajtazovic) could have intervened, overturned the red card, and Vinícius could still have received a yellow card.
On social media, there was also much commotion about the yellow card for Schlotterbeck and especially about the fact that Vinícius was allowed to stay on the field with a yellow card despite his obvious dive. Fans and analysts alike expressed their frustration, arguing that such decisions could have changed the outcome of the match.
The moment was also discussed in the German media, with particular attention given to Matthijs de Ligt's disallowed goal in injury time of the semifinal against Bayern Munich. This incident added to the narrative that Real Madrid had been fortunate throughout the Champions League season. "Real Madrid was lucky in this Champions League season," stated Kicker, reflecting a sentiment shared by many who felt that officiating decisions had favored the Spanish club in crucial moments.
