The disciplinary and appeal committees were at loggerheads this week, with one lot dishing out sentences and the other lot overturning them. Firstly Espanyol's Rotchen (the only player sent off last weekend) was given a one match ban on Tuesday, only to see the appeals committee cancel the first of his yellow cards and consequently take away the red. Then Celta's Catanha was given a three match suspension for spitting at Málaga's Fernando Sanz, which was immediately reduced to two for provocation from the Málaga players. Celta took their case to the CEDD, Spanish sport's superior disciplinary body, and they gave a temporary stay of sentence, which meant he could play at the weekend. It was not clear what was Catanha's defence, except that he did not spit at the player's face, only at his shirt, probably because he has been a bit off target recently. He made up for it though by scoring a hat-trick at the weekend: woe betide anyone who upset him when he is on that sort of form.

Referees gave the committees some proper work to do this week, sending off a season best six players. Two of those went in the bad tempered game between Valencia and Sevilla, and it could easily have been more as high tackles went in all over the place. Sevilla's Víctor Salas was the first to go for a second bookable offence, but Angulo was unlucky to be red carded when he got a second yellow for celebrating his last minute goal by "jumping on the publicity hoardings and embracing a group of supporters". Difficult to see what was wrong with that, and the committee should give that one short shift. Deportivo's César was shown a straight red for bringing down Peragón on the edge of the area with only a quarter of an hour gone, a harsh decision which left his side with ten men for most of the game. Helder was fortunate not to follow him a few minutes later for a similar offence.

The other three sendings off were for second yellow cards at the end of their respective games for Cáceres (Celta), Mateo (Osasuna) and Paco (Zaragoza). Mateo had only come on at half time for his first appearance in months, and Paco got his marching orders for the second time this season. Otherwise only four players reached the five card suspension threshold, Turiel (Alavés), Francisco (Sevilla), Kily González (Valencia) and Jesús (Valladolid) . (11.03.02)