The teenage sensation from Brazil came on for the last 20 minutes of Real Madrid’s La Liga victory over Alaves on Tuesday, 3-2. After a collision with defender Santiago Mourino inside the penalty area, Endrick, 18, looked to have struck the defender in the crotch with his knee. The decision by the referee to only issue Endrick a yellow card infuriated Plaza, the head coach of Alaves.

The Alaves manager declared, “It’s a red card,” following the game. The final ten minutes ought to have been played against ten men. There is no denying that it is a crimson. This is the purpose of the VAR if the referee failed to see it. Endrick received a red, even though they may have received more yellows than they should have.”

Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Los Blancos, predictably refused to acknowledge that one of his players ought to have been sent off. In order to overcome the obstacle and stay in contact with league leaders Barcelona, who have so far preserved their flawless start, Endrick stayed on the field.

On Sunday, Real Madrid and rivals Atletico Madrid play a crucial encounter. Gaining the upper hand would help Los Blancos maintain their hopes of winning La Liga in May by creating a greater gap between the two teams.