Lewandowski’s LaLiga suspension confirmed: can he play in El Clásico?
The Pole was booked for time wasting against Las Palmas, leading to suggestions he deliberately tried to get a yellow card.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF)’s competition committee has handed Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski a suspension after he was shown his fifth yellow card in LaLiga this season against Las Palmas last weekend. The Pole will be forced to sit out one league game, away to Cádiz on 13 April, which means he will be available to play against Real Madrid in El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu the following weekend (Sunday 21 April, 3pm ET).
On Saturday, Lewandowski was booked for time wasting towards the end of the win over Las Palmas, which led to suggestions he had deliberately seeking a caution to ensure he wouldn’t be able to play against Cádiz and not run the risk of missing in Clásico.
In 2010, then Real Madrid manager José Mourinho and players Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas and Jerzy Dudek were all fined by UEFA for their parts in ensuring Ramos and Alonso were shown cards in a Champions League game against Ajax, which led to them missing the final group game and starting the knockout stage with a clean disciplinary record.
On this occasion, however, match referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer deemed nothing untoward had taken place and the competition committee has acted as expected.
As a result, Lewandowski will sit out one game and return to face Madrid. The veteran attacker has scored 20 goals and provided nine assists for Barça in 40 matches this season.
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