The Yamal incident drags Bernal into hell: the referee's report opens the door to a heavy punishment!
What comes after the red card is more dangerous
Facundo Bernal faces at least four matches on the sidelines after his red card against Barcelona. The Real Betis midfielder clashed with Lamine Yamal and, according to referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea's report, headbutted the Catalan side's star twice in the face.
Giovani Lo Celso had a goal disallowed in the first half, and the controversy carried into the second. Valles brought Fermin Lopez down heavily, Lamine Yamal stepped in to back his team-mate, and the whole thing boiled over into a confrontation between the players. Bernal went too far. The referee reached for red.
De Burgos Bengoetxea explained in his report: "In the 54th minute, the player Facundo Bernal Cruz, number 6, was sent off for the following reason: during a confrontation, this player grabbed his opponent by the neck and headbutted him twice in succession in the face, while the ball was not in play. The opposing player did not require medical assistance and was able to complete the match."
A possible punishment of up to 12 matches
Article 103 of the disciplinary code is the one that matters here. It sets out that an assault on another person without causing injury, committed while play is stopped or away from the ball in such a way that intervening is impossible, carries a suspension of between four and 12 matches. Bernal, per the report, is looking at a minimum of four.
Crucially, the Barcelona player came away unhurt. Had the assault caused an injury, the report notes, the sanction would have jumped to between six and 15 matches.
Bernal's route out is Article 130, which deals with violence during play and could reduce the ban to two or three games. That looks a long shot. The referee's report is explicit: the ball was out of play.
Another incident involving the Betis coach
Bernal's dismissal wasn't the only flashpoint. De Burgos Bengoetxea also flagged the conduct of Real Betis head coach Manuel Fajardo Mateo towards fourth official Alejandro Clemente Ortuno.
The report stated that "after the video assistant referee (VAR) review in the first half, the head coach of Real Betis Balompie, Mr Manuel Fajardo Mateo, kicked the ball located in the fourth official's area, causing it to strike his leg and resulting in a slight injury".
Whether Fajardo Mateo is punished depends on his official registration and whether that capacity allows him to be held disciplinarily accountable. If it doesn't, Betis themselves will carry the can and face a financial fine.
