Cape Town - Real
Madrid defender Dani Carvajal will be suspended for the Champions
League last 16 first leg after being punished for a deliberate booking.
Carvajal received a yellow card for time-wasting in the final minute of Real’s win over Apoel Nicosia on November 21, which saw him banned for Wednesday’s last group stage clash against Borussia Dortmund.
However, UEFA have decided that Carvajal wanted to receive a booking, so he would be eligible for the knockout stages of the Champions League, and have handed him an extra one-game ban.
"The Uefa control, ethics and disciplinary body has decided to suspend the Real Madrid CF player Dani Carvajal for two Uefa competition matches for which he would be otherwise eligible," said a statement.
"Given that Carvajal did not participate in the match Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund played on 6 December, 2017, the player still has to serve one Uefa competition match for which he would be otherwise eligible."
It’s not the first time that Real have found themselves in trouble for a similar offence.
In 2010, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos were sent off in the dying stages of a win against Ajax so they could miss a meaningless encounter against Auxerre.
Neither received an extra game ban, but both were fined.