Five red cards this weekend as league football resumed, including two for Mallorca players at Atlético Madrid. Ballesteros was the first to go with a straight red after bringing down Torres in the penalty area, and Iuliano followed soon afterwards for a second bookable offence, his second red card since joining in the winter. The day before, Valencia defender Caneira was shown a second yellow card late in the game against Zaragoza only minutes after he had scored his first goal for the club to level the game. And on Sunday, Betis defender Rivas was shown a straight red early in the match for a clothesline tackle on Barcelona's Deco as he advanced on goal.

Getafe's Yordi probably felt himself unlucky to be sent off for a second bookable offence in his side's game at Málaga, especially as the first yellow card came when referee Iturralde González considered that he had given away a penalty for handling in the area when the ball hit him from a direct free kick. The linesman pointed out that the blood trickling from the ex Zaragoza and Blackburn striker's nose was caused by the ball hitting him in the face and not the arm, and Iturralde changed his mind and cancelled the spot kick. As could be seen from the referee's report though, the booking was given for not standing 10 yards away rather than for hands, and as a result he had to go.

The main talking point though on the disciplinary front was the delay in punishing Sevilla's Javi Navarro after his hospital tackle on Mallorca's Arango last weekend. The disciplinary committee hearing was put back to next week, allowing the defender to play against Numancia. Javi was a model of society, even when whacked on the head by Antonio, and fans and management offered him their support. Also in the news was the possible suspension of Real Madrid and Barcelona players prior to the big derby match next weekend, and in the end Samuel, Guti and Deco will all be missing after picking up their tenth yellow cards of the season. They will be joined by Albelda (Valencia) and Gonzalo (Villarreal), both of whom were also given their tenth cautions, and by Real Sociedad's Karpin, who was shown his fifth. (05.04.05)