OK, so you're all waiting for this one! As the whole world and his cat already know, Mourinho was sent to the stands in Wednesday's cup tie against Murcia after telling the referee literally to "go to the shit" (it loses a lot on translation!). Having seen several red cards in Portugal, England and Italy, the bookies are already giving odds on how many he will pick up during his stay in Spain. His choice of words have cost him a two match ban, but he will be back for the game in the Nou Camp. What odds on he and Guardiola coming to blows?!?

It wasn't just Mourinho though, as referees produced no less than eleven red cards in the cup. Five were for lower division players and staff, Valladolid's Jofre and his coach Antonio Gómez, Xerez's Edu Moya and Perone, and Ceuta's Víctor Moreno, and there was a red card as well for Racing's assistant coach Castaños. Mourinho's right back Arbeloa got his marching orders for a second bookable offence, as did Abel Aguilar (Hércules) and Sergio (Osasuna), and Atlético's Diego Costa was shown a straight red for catching a Universidad Las Palmas player with a flying elbow.

And so to the weekend, where an exchange of pre (and post)-match insults between Mourinho and his opposite number Manolo Preciado resulted in a bad-tempered game in Sporting Gijón's Molinón stadium on Sunday. Yellow cards were flying, although nobody got a red until Botía was sent off in injury time for a lunging tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo. The previous day Athletic Bilbao suffered from left-back-itis, with Koikili getting himself sent off for a second bookable offence just before half time and substitute Castillo also seeing red later in the second half for a hard tackle on Goitom as he approached goal. Curiously Athletic's first choice left back Aurtenetxe was sent off last week!

The disease spilled over in to Sunday as well, with Osasuna's left back Monreal being sent for an early bath after picking up a second booking, and Sevilla's Fernando Navarro taking the long walk for a foul on Zaragoza's Braulio twenty minutes from the end of their match. As reported last week, Athletic's Gurpegui was let off a fifth booking on appeal, but his respite only lasted a week as he was booked again and will miss next weekend's game at Real Madrid. He will be joined on the sidelines by Cata Díaz (Getafe), Albelda (Valencia) and Diogo (Zaragoza), all of whom also picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season. (16.11.10)