Six red cards this week twixt cup and league, with two sendings off in the third round first leg ties of the "copa del rey" to start things off. Valladolid's Mario was shown a straight red for pulling down Mallorca's Tuni as he advanced on goal near the end of their game, and Alavés defender Dan Eggen picked up two bookings to round off a miserable return to first team football at Murcia.

Four more reds at the weekend, including Real Sociedad assistant trainer Zaparain who lost his cool with fans banging on the dugout roof and threw a full water bottle at them. Oops. Two sent off in the game between Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal, first of all Guayre for the visitors after he got two petty yellow cards, the first for not standing ten yards away from a free kick, and the second for time wasting. Urzaiz joined him at the end for two heavy tackles, presumably out of frustration as his side failed time and time again to equalise. Mallorca's Poli also got himself sent off for a second bookable offence, and immediately afterwards Rayo Vallecano scored. That was the best thing that could happen for his side though, and they came back to win for the first time in five games.

The disciplinary committee were busy again during the week, banning Celta's Berizzo for two games for punching Naybet in the face at the end of their last match and extending Romero's ban to two matches for disrespect when leaving the pitch after his sending off, and then reducing it back to one on appeal. Romero's Málaga team mate Roteta was the first player to reach the second threshold of ten yellow cards and will miss the next match, as will seven players who completed the cycle of five, including Cáceres (Celta), Mauro Silva (Deportivo), Tamudo (Espanyol), Sandro (Málaga), Graff (Rayo), Espinola (Recreativo) and Arruabarrena (Villarreal). (14.01.03)