In Matchweek 17 of the 2025-26 La Liga season, Barcelona played away against Villarreal. Renato Veiga was shown a red card for a reckless two-footed tackle on Lamine Yamal, and his brutal foul enraged the Barcelona players.
In the 38th minute, Frenkie de Jong headed the ball on in midfield, and Yamal controlled the ball with his back to goal. Veiga launched himself into a two-footed tackle, sending Yamal crashing to the ground in agony. The referee immediately brandished a red card at Veiga.
From the slow-motion replays, there is no doubt that Veiga’s tackle was extremely dangerous. The only point of contention is that Veiga kept both feet close to the turf—but his action was still highly perilous.
After seeing the referee show the red card, Veiga looked utterly astonished. Nevertheless, his vicious tackle infuriated the Barcelona players; Jules Koundé, Raphinha and others rushed over to confront Veiga, who turned and walked away, knowing he was in the wrong.
Veiga lingered on the pitch to argue with the referee, which further angered Raphinha, who shouted at him. Coaches and players from the bench rushed over to separate the two sides.
Fortunately, after being examined by the medical staff, Yamal’s left foot was uninjured, and he returned to the game. Afterwards, every time Yamal got on the ball, he was greeted with boos from the Villarreal fans.
