Hansi Flick's two-match ban upheld after Barcelona's appeals dismissed

By SABC Sport
14th December 2024

The appeal process has concluded with Hansi Flick's two-match suspension being upheld, following his red card in last week's FC Barcelona match against Real Betis.

Despite Barcelona's attempt to overturn the decision, the club have now accepted the ruling from the Disciplinary Committee.

The Appeals Committee's statement released on Friday stated, "The appeal lodged by FC Barcelona against the decision dated 11 December 2024 by the Disciplinary Committee is dismissed, confirming the sanctions imposed on coach Hans-Dieter Flick."

Barcelona had challenged the original penalty from the Competition Committee, but the Appeals Committee reaffirmed the punishment today. The club, while acknowledging their disagreement, will take no further action and has complied with the decision, forgoing any request for a temporary suspension.

The Appeals Committee's detailed review, as outlined in their document, firmly supports the referee's account of the incident. "Repeated viewings of the footage have not led this Committee to conclude that the action leading to the red card did not occur as described by the referee.

"On the contrary, the referee's description, at least prima facie, aligns with the events, despite what the club believes, especially from the referee's and assistant's immediate perspective as seen in the images provided by FC Barcelona. Furthermore, after his dismissal, the coach continued to protest towards the officials," the document explains.

Incident Details from the Match Report

Match referee Muniz Ruiz documented in his match report from the Benito VillamarÃƒn Stadium: "He was sent off for leaving the technical area, shouting, and gesturing while protesting one of my decisions."

In his press conference, Flick clarified his actions, stating, "I don't understand my red card. I didn't say anything to anybody. I had a reaction, something I said to myself. This has never happened to me before."

Despite Barcelona's appeal citing these explanations, the fine has not been reduced. As a result, Flick will miss Barcelona's upcoming matches against Leganes this Sunday and Atletico Madrid on the following Saturday, both at Montjuic.