Real Madrid's young Brazilian striker Endrick summed up the feeling among his team-mates in the dressing room regarding the four-match ban handed to his compatriot Vinicius Junior by the competitions committee of the Spanish Football Federation.
The punishment landed yesterday, Wednesday, just hours before Real Madrid's Champions League trip to Roma, a game Los Blancos won 4-3 after a stunning comeback at the Stadio Olimpico.
Vinicius was sent off in Saturday's La Liga match against Villarreal for pulling the hair of Nathan Salipa at the start of the move that ended with a goal for the Brazilian himself. The goal was later disallowed.
Endrick, who came off the bench in the second half against Roma and scored, said after the final whistle: "We knew the punishment was supposed to be two matches, but deep down we knew it wouldn't be."
He added, as quoted by the newspaper "Marca": "What they are doing to Vinicius is crazy, and it won't change. We knew it would be like this, and that they would target Vinicius."
"He is a strong man who always fights against everything, and when he comes back he will come back at his very best," he continued.
Jose Mourinho refused to discuss the ban before kick-off. The Real Madrid manager did question the timing, though: "Why announce it two hours before an important match like this in the Champions League?"