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Dani Alves checks Yannick Carrasco before being sent off.
Dani Alves reacted strongly to the two-match ban after being sent off for a tackle on Yannick Carrasco in Barcelona’s 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid in La Liga.
The Brazilian saw red after digging his studs into Carrasco’s calf and was shown a direct red card after 69 minutes at Camp Nou. Alves took Twitter to express his dissatisfaction with his punishment.
“It’s ridiculous to think that one professional colleague is going to hurt the other on purpose… we play a risky sport and accidents happen and there is no need to go further,” he said. writing. “Anyway Carrasco, sorry again for the accident.”
The ban means Alves will be left out of Barcelona’s next two La Liga fixtures against Espanyol and Valencia. The 38-year-old will also miss Barca’s Europa League double header against Napoli, having been left out of the squad, and will therefore not be available for selection for the team’s next four matches in all competitions.
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Barcelona to appeal Alves ban
Barcelona appear to share Alves’ frustration with the move and have already announced their intention to appeal the defender’s ban in a statement posted on the club’s official website.
“FC Barcelona submits a complaint to the Appeal Committee following the Competition Committee’s issuance of a double match against Dani Alves following his red card in Sunday’s game against Atlético Madrid.”
The competition committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced that Alves received a two-game ban because he “would not have had the opportunity to win the ball”, as reported by beIN Sports .
The appeal committee has received the appeal and will now decide whether to reduce the ban to one game or uphold the original decision, as reported by the journalist Adria Albets. If the ban is upheld, it will be a blow for Xavi as the veteran has been playing regularly since returning for a second spell at Camp Nou.
The Catalan derby will be next for Barca
Barcelona’s next match is a Catalan derby against Espanyol at RCDE Stadium on Sunday, February 13. Xavi’s side will be aiming to maintain the form they showed against Atletico and secure a third successive La Liga victory.
The visitors will also be the favorites with Espanyol currently in poor form. Los Periquitos haven’t managed a single La Liga win in 2022 and come into the game after a 2-1 defeat at Athletic.
Forward Raul de Tomas, who has 12 goals this season, will be a player Barcelona will have to watch and he has told reporters he is looking forward to facing his side’s local rivals on Sunday.
“All the players know it’s a special match. We all know how much it means for the club and the fans,” he said. “It would be great to win this game, especially for our fans. We are the two big teams in town, and of course there is a fierce rivalry between us. But if you’re positive and work hard, the rivalry can motivate you like no other game can.
Xavi may need to make changes to his defense if Alves misses the trip to Espanyol, with Sergino Dest being the Brazil international’s most obvious replacement.
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