'You want to kill a player?' - Furious Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho calls out Spanish FA and questions Vinicius Jr ban timing after 4-3 win over Roma

The Portuguese tactician took aim at the Spanish football federation after they confirmed a four-match ban for his Brazilian star shortly before their Champions League clash against his former club at Stadio Olimpico. The domestic sanction was handed down following a hair-pulling clash with Nathan Saliba during Saturday's 1-0 win over Villarreal, after which the manager boycotted his post-match press conference.

Despite being rattled by the news, Los Blancos mounted a stunning fightback from two goals down, with late strikes from Carlos Espi, Endrick and Antonio Rudiger sealing a dramatic 4-3 victory.

Mourinho's fury erupted after the disciplinary committee's verdict reached the team bus just two hours before kick-off against Gian Piero Gasperini's side. The eleventh-hour ruling appeared to shatter Vinicius' concentration, with the forward losing possession in the build-up to the hosts' second goal before being hauled off immediately after Donyell Malen grabbed his second on 57 minutes.

Questioning the timing of the decision on the back of his side's astonishing comeback, Mourinho said: "Do you think it's normal that a player from a Spanish team, who has to play a match that is also important for Spanish football, that two hours before the match a player knows he's been given a four-match suspension?

"Couldn't they do it tomorrow morning? Do we have to come by bus and almost arrive at the stadium when we find out Vinicius has a four-match suspension? They do things shamelessly now. The cat is out of the bag now. Two hours before the match, a player must know he has a four-match suspension. A Spanish team that has earned three points for Spanish football, for the rankings, for the prestige of Spanish football. You want to kill a player two hours before the match? It doesn't seem normal to me."

The flashpoint against Villarreal came after Vinicius was introduced in the 52nd minute and thought he had doubled Madrid's lead, only for the referee to disallow the goal and dismiss the winger following a pitchside monitor review. The Spanish federation's disciplinary committee subsequently handed the forward a two-match ban for "behaving violently ... (while) not being in a position to challenge for the ball", alongside an additional two games for "protests" towards the match officials. Owning up to his costly error, the winger took to social media to apologise, saying he was "sorry to the team and the [Madrid] fans".

Victory in the Italian capital, marked by Kylian Mbappe becoming the youngest player to reach 100 Champions League appearances at the age of 27, provides valuable momentum as Madrid keep pace at the summit. Yet Vinicius' domestic absence leaves Mourinho with a major tactical headache ahead of a demanding run of La Liga fixtures, starting with Sevilla on October 18 before an El Clasico showdown against Barcelona on October 25. The Los Blancos talisman is also ruled out of two further league games next month, sitting out against Racing Santander on November 1 and the trip to Valencia six days later.