Six red cards during the week, one in the cup and five in the league, with referee Turienzo Alvarez responsible for three of them. He first sent off Marino's Luis for a second bookable offence in the first half of their cup against Deportivo, and then reported a) Suárez for bad language and b) the home crowd for throwing things at him after the game. Both players were banned for one game and the club was fined. The same referee was in charge at Vitoria, where Espanyol's eccentric keeper Argensó fell in to the trap set for him by an old villain, Oscar Téllez. The Alavés defender went in hard as Argensó caught the ball, and then nudged him on the blind side of the referee. The keeper chased after him and pushed him over in full sight of the official (Téllez went down dramatically) and that was it. The red card was a bit harsh though, given the circumstances. Espanyol midfielder Morales also made it to the team bath before his colleagues (one assumes Argensó was already out by then) picking up a second yellow card five minutes from the end.

Two red cards at Vigo as well, with the first to Celta's assistant coach Ramón Carnero for insulting the referee and the second to Velasco for a second bookable offence. Mostovoi was so upset after Celta lost that he gravely insulted the referee as well, who reported the Russian player for entering his dressing room afterwards (which the player denies) to tell him what he thought. The club will be defending Mostovoi's actions, arguing that when he said he was the son of a whore he was not addressing him directly, and when he told the referee he did not have balls, this was reported out of context (presumably what he meant was "as you are not holding footballs in your hand at the moment, Mr. referee sir, why do you refuse to shake my hand?"). Unfortunately the disciplinary committee have heard it all before from Mostovoi, and he could face a lengthy ban. The fifth red card of the day went to Málaga's Fernando Sanz, who presumably did not impress the watching Manchester United scouts earning himself a second booking in the second half of their match at Rayo Vallecano. (12.11.01)