SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Barcelona to appeal Mascherano red card

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona will appeal the red card shown to Javier Mascherano in Sunday's La Liga game against Eibar for verbally abusing a referee's assistant, the Spanish and European champions said on Monday.

Barcelona to appeal Mascherano red card
(Reuters)

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Skip to article content

Mascherano was dismissed in the 83rd minute of the 3-1 victory at the Nou Camp and the Argentina international, who mainly plays as a centreback but can also operate in midfield, could face a ban of up to four matches if the appeal is unsuccessful.

That would mean he will be unavailable for some key games in Spain's top flight, including the first of the season's two 'Clasicos', to be played at Real Madrid on Nov. 21, and the match at home to Villarreal on Nov. 8.

Referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande wrote in his match report he had sent Mascherano off for directing an insult, common in Argentina, towards the match official.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Barca's appeal, confirmed at a news conference by vice-president Jordi Mestre, could hinge on whether they can prove Mascherano made the comment in passing and did not direct it towards the assistant referee.

They lost an appeal against a similar punishment given to defender Gerard Pique after he insulted a linesman in a Spanish Super Cup match in August and he was banned for four games.

Barca's victory against Eibar put them level on 21 points at the top with Real after nine matches as they chase a sixth La Liga title in eight years.

(Writing by Iain Rogers, editing by Patrick Johnston)


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world