In the match between Real Betis and FC Barcelona, the expulsion of Facundo Bernal generated a controversy that has led the RFEF Minutes Commission to impose a four-game sanction. The incident occurred in the 54th minute, when the Betis defender, after a bad play by his teammate Valles, approached Lamine Yamal and grabbed him by the neck, hitting him with two consecutive headbutts while the ball was not in play. According to the minutes drawn up by referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea, the action did not cause injuries to Yamal, which avoids the possibility of a longer suspension.
The file indicates that the attack was carried out in an area where the game was stopped, which, according to article 103 of the regulations, can lead to a suspension of four to twelve games. In this case, the Commission has decided on the minimum number of four meetings. If there had been an injury, the sanction would have been six to fifteen games, but the absence of physical damage reduces the punishment. In addition, the minutes contemplate the possibility of applying sanction 130 related to violence in the game, which could limit the suspension to two or three games, although the wording of the minutes suggests that a four-match penalty is the most likely.
The same report also mentions a second incident that occurred during the VAR review in the first half of the match. The Betis technical director, Manuel Fajardo Mateo, would have shot the ball towards the area of the fourth referee, Alejandro Clemente Ortuño, hitting him in the weak leg. If the coach is licensed, he or she could face disciplinary action; Otherwise, the club could receive a fine for the act.
Betis has been affected by the expulsion of Bernal, which leaves the team with ten players for the rest of the match. The club must have a substitute available to cover the central defender position in the next matches, while the Minutes Commission reviews the documentation and decides the exact duration of the suspension. For its part, FC Barcelona maintains its full squad and continues its campaign in the league, although the episode has generated debate about the discipline and safety of players in Spanish football.