Rule number one: if a referee books you for arguing with him, don’t tell him to stick it up his arse! That unfortunately is what Real Sociedad’s Iñigo Martínez did in the cup semi-final against Barcelona, and it left his team with ten men for all the second half (not to mention the absence of their best defender for the return leg and one more match on top). Ah well, we all learn!

Another four red cards at the weekend, the first for Espanyol’s Víctor Alvarez when he brought down Granada’s El-Arabi as he advanced on goal just half an hour in to the Friday night game. Luckily for him his team still went on to win! Málaga’s Sergio Sánchez got his marching orders on Saturday after he was shown a second yellow card for giving away a penalty on Rayo’s Larrivey just before the break of their match, and Atlético reserve keeper Aranzubia was unlucky to be given a red card late on in the game at Almería after he scrambled back to recover a ball which he had just given away to Jonathan Zongo. Although it seemed to be a fair challenge, the referee thought otherwise and awarded a penalty which Gabi had to defend as Atleti had no substitutions left. The Almería delegate was also sent to the stands in the same game for failing to respond to an order to control the ball-boys, who were somewhat selective when returning balls which had gone out of play. The poor man did his best, but you know what kids are like!

No less than eleven players will join the above on the sidelines next weekend after picking up their fifth bookings of the season, Soriano (Almería), Iturraspe (Athletic), Javi Márquez (Elche), Arroyo and Roberto Lago (Getafe), Iturra (Málaga), Vyntra and Ivanschitz (Levante), Nacho (Rayo Vallecano), Diogo (Sevilla) and Jesús Rueda (Valladolid). (12.02.14)

PS. Aranzubia was let off his red card as the disciplinary committee upheld Atlético’s appeal.

(* suspension pending disciplinary meeting decision)

Villains Yellow cards Red cards (straight) Games banned Total points
Víctor Sánchez (Espanyol) 15 3 4 22
Gálvez (Rayo Vallecano) 12 1 3 16
Cala (Sevilla) 9 2 (1) 3 15
Botía (Elche) 13 0 2 15
Sergio Sánchez (Málaga) 11 1 2* 14
Diogo Figueiras (Sevilla) 6 1 (1) 5* 13
Filipe Luis (Atlético) 7 2 (1) 3 13
M'Bia (Sevilla) 7 2 (1) 3 13
Borja (Getafe) 10 1 2 13
Saúl (Rayo Vallecano) 10 1 2 13
Iñigo Martínez (Real Soc) 8 1 3* 12
Damián Suárez (Elche) 8 2 2 12
Nono (Betis) 9 1 2 12
Ebert (Valladolid) 9 1 2 12
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) 11 0 1 12
Coke (Sevilla) 6 1 (1) 3 11
Dubarbier (Almería) 8 1 2 11
Hugo Mallo (Celta) 8 1 2 11
Iturra (Granada) 8 1 2* 11
Arribas (Osasuna) 8 1 2 11
Jaume Costa (Villarreal) 10 0 1 11