La Liga’s authorities have handed Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, a one-game suspension for the tackle on Lionel Messi, for which he was sent off in last Sunday’s El Clasico.
Ramos was shown a straight red by referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez, after a two-footed challenge.
Hernandez’s match report said the defender used “excessive force” in “knocking over his opponent,”.
The competition committee of the RFEF, Spanish football’s governing body, have also rejected Madrid’s appeal.
The committee said in a judgement that the referee had “unique, exclusive and definitive” competence to apply the rules. So the committee handed out the standard one-game suspension for such offence, along with the standard fine of €600 to the player and €350 to his club.
Madrid have 10 days to lodge an appeal of the decision, though they will have to move quickly to avoid Ramos missing Wednesday’s game against Deportivo La Coruna.