Red cards can be a bit like public transport buses, you wait ages for one and then four come along at once. That was the case at least this weekend, when all the sendings off came in the last game on Sunday between Real Madrid and Sevilla The match was bad-tempered throughout, and at half time there were extraordinary scenes in front of the dugout as Mourinho's medical assistant Silvino Louro and Sevilla's delegate Cristóbal Soría swung the handbags, the Real Madrid delegate Agustín Herrerín getting knocked to the ground in the crossfire. Louro and Soría were both given red cards and one match bans for the incident. After the restart Carvalho was sent for an early bath after picking up a second booking, and visiting defender Dabo followed him a few minutes later for kicking Di María from behind, also earning themselves one match suspensions. All can now take a few more days holiday this festive fortnight, and they will be joined by another eleven players who completed the five yellow card cycle, including Piqué (Barcelona), Víctor Ruíz (Espanyol), Marcano and Víctor Sánchez (Getafe), Pepe (Real Madrid), Rivas (Real Sociedad), Barral (Sporting), David Navarro and Soldado (Valencia) and Musacchio (Villarreal). (23.12.10)

PS Nano was let off his fifth booking last week, and was able to play this weekend.