A good try by Javi Navarro last week, but he was only able to dislodge Pablo García from the top of our table for a few days. The Uruguayan midfielder has been hovering on 14 yellow cards for seven games, but he himself said he would find it difficult not to get that last booking which would take him to the next multiple of five, especially against old enemies Sevilla. And so it was, García starting off another near riot by whacking Baptista midway through the first half to become the first player this season to be banned for a third time for accumulation of cautions.

Talking of Javi Navarro, there was no further news so far on Sevilla's possible appeal to the Spanish courts to get his five match ban put on hold, although they may need him next weekend as central defenders Aitor Ocio and Pablo Alfaro will be suspended after picking up their fifth bookings in the same game. Navarro served out the second match of his ban last weekend.

It was another relatively quiet weekend as far as cards were concerned, with only one red when Racing Santander's Jonathan Valle insulted the officials (see more in our white stick section on that one). A lot of players did reach the next threshold of yellow cards though, including three Espanyol defenders Lopo (10 bookings), Soldevilla and Ibarra (both 5). They will be joined by Josetxo (Osasuna) and Milito (Zaragoza, both with 10 yellow cards, and Márquez (Barcelona), Arzu and Oliveira (Betis), Caneira (Valencia) and Senna (Villarreal), all with 5. (19.04.05)

PS. Sevilla have still not decided to take the Navarro case to court, even though their second appeal to the Federation was turned down. The committee did however let Marcos Senna and Oliveira off their fifth bookings, and both will therefore be available this weekend. (21.04.05)