Well, what do you know! We thought we would not see a weekend like week 4 again this season, but it only took our men in black a couple of weeks to match the 11 red card haul from those two days. Two coaches were sent up into the stands, Sevilla's Juande Ramos and Celta's firebrand Fernando Vázquez, who said he felt persecuted by referees (and in this instance the infamous linesman Rafa Guerrero!), and threatened to spend the rest of the season directing games from the VIP boxes!

One of the names we didn't expect to see, at least in this section, was Ronaldo, but he "wiped his name off the team sheet" for next weekend's big match with Barcelona after picking up a second booking for calling the referee a phenomenon (it loses a bit on translation). Levante's Kapo was also given his marching orders for protesting, but according to reports all he said to the referee was "uo" (not sure in which language?).

Two players off for second bookable offences in the match between Atlético and Recreativo, firstly Dani Bautista (eventually at least - see white stick section!), and Seitaridis, who picked up his second red of the season. And two more in the game between Betis and Deportivo, also for two bookings each, Felipe Luis and Sobis (apparently Sobis tricked his Brazilian under 21 friend and team mate, taking a quick free kick whilst his opponent was standing close, and then protesting, but he got his come-uppance for two fouls on the keeper).

So who does that leave? Well Nàstic full back Ruz was sent off early in the game against Athletic for a two-footed tackle on Orbaiz, and Real Sociedad's Diego Rivas also had to leave the field in the first half against Zaragoza after two rather harsh yellow cards. The opposite was true though for Valencia substitute Gavilán, who picked up two yellow cards in injury time of the game at Celta, and beat his team mates to the bath by only a couple of minutes! If it keeps on at this rate, there will be nobody left by mid-season! (16.10.06)