JUST IN: Barcelona forward could be suspended for three games after red card vs Atletico

JUST IN: Barcelona forward could be suspended for three games after red card vs Atletico

Even as Barcelona secured a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday night, it came at a cost as they saw forward Ferran Torres get sent off for a brawl with Atletico Madrid defender Stefan Savic.

It was a heated match between two teams and the tensions were high, and the two players got into a wrestling contest on the pitch, grabbing each other's hair, and pulling one another's necks

It forced referee Munuera Montero to issue a direct red card to both offenders, sending them off in stoppage time.

 Now Mundo Deportivo is reporting that following the sending-off, Torres is unlikely to face a ban that is longer than two or three matches, while also mentioning that he will likely be eligible to play in the Spanish Super Cup this week.

 The referee made a note of the incident in his post-match report, which read: “In the 90th-minute player (11) Torres García, Ferran was sent off for the following reason: Persistently grabbing an opponent by the hair while the ball was in play but not within playing distance of each other.”

 The direct red card means Torres is already set to serve a two-match ban, but it could reach three matches, according to La Liga's article 130 regarding violence on the pitch, which reads as follows:

Violent conduct during play or as a direct consequence of play, provided that the action causes risk but does not have harmful or injurious consequences, is punishable by suspension for one to three matches or for a period of up to one month.”

“If the action described in the previous paragraph occurs on the fringes of play, without being in a position to contest the ball or play being stopped, it shall be punishable by a suspension of two to three matches, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 103 of this Code.”

 Article 103 further stipulates that they could be handed a suspension of four to twelve matches if the Competition Committee deems the actions to be an assault on the other player.  However, the report states that such a scenario is unlikely as both players came out without any injuries from the incident.

So, as things stand, Torres will receive at least a two-match ban which could rise up to three, with the suspension only being applicable to La Liga games.

 Barcelona have had three players sent off in their last three La Liga matches – Robert Lewandowski vs Osasuna, Jordi Alba vs Espanyol and now Torres against Atletico