His name is Rafael Guerrero and has been known throughout Spain for years as "Rafa, no me j*das" after a famous comment by the referee of the day when he insisted on a penalty and a sending off for a foul which only he had seen. The league's most famous linesman was at it again, his x-ray vision and superman hearing picking up an off the ball incident between Mallorca's Novo and Barcelona's Motta which resulted in Novo taking the long walk. The Mallorca midfielder insisted he only shrugged off Motta as he leaned over him, but Rafa saw a punch and Iturralde González had to believe him. He didn't have to intervene though in the second sending off, Eto'o's kick on Motta clear to even the lottery ticket seller from ONCE, the organization for the blind. Mallorca manager Gregorio Manzano described Sr. Guerrero as being "more dangerous than a monkey with two pistols", which could get him into trouble as well.

Iturralde was not the only referee to send off two players from the same team this weekend though. González Vázquez did the same at Montjuic, leaving Valladolid with nine men against Espanyol. He also showed eleven yellow cards, including a fifth of the season for Torres Gómez and for Aganzo, leaving Moré without four key players for the next match. (24.12.02)