Real Betis midfielder Bernal suspended after clash with Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal

Real Betis midfielder Facundo Bernal has been handed a four-match suspension by the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee following his confrontation with Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal during Saturday’s La Liga encounter.

The 23-year-old Uruguayan was sent off in the 54th minute after an altercation with Yamal, shortly after Real Betis had equalised to make it 2-2.

The committee ruled that Bernal had committed an assault away from the ball, imposing the minimum suspension available under regulations that allow bans of between four and 12 matches for such incidents.

Bernal sent off after confrontation with Yamal

The incident occurred when Bernal allegedly grabbed Yamal by the neck before striking the Barcelona forward twice with his head.

Yamal was also shown a yellow card for pushing Bernal shortly before the midfielder received his straight red card.

Barcelona capitalised on their numerical advantage to score three more goals and secure a 5-2 victory, with Yamal contributing an assist for Gabriel Jesus’ goal.

The confrontation overshadowed the match, which saw Barcelona strengthen their position in the Spanish top flight.

Seville derby among matches Bernal will miss

Bernal will be unavailable for Real Betis’ upcoming fixtures against Celta Vigo, Malaga and Elche, as well as the Seville derby against Sevilla on 22 November.

His absence is a setback for Betis, who currently sit fourth in La Liga with 19 points.

The suspension means the midfielder will miss one of the club’s most anticipated fixtures of the season as they continue their campaign in Spain’s top division.

Betis sporting director also sanctioned

The disciplinary committee also handed Real Betis sporting director Manu Fajardo a two-match suspension and imposed a financial fine over conduct it considered contrary to sporting discipline.

The sanctions follow a match in which Barcelona took advantage of their numerical superiority to claim a convincing win, while the confrontation between Bernal and Yamal resulted in disciplinary action involving both clubs.