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Luis Suarez banned two games after tunnel row following Barcelona win

Barcelona will appeal the ban

Tom Sheen
Friday 08 January 2016 14:35 GMT
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(Getty Images)

Barcelona are to appeal the two-match ban for Luis Suarez after he was said to have been involved in an altercation in the tunnel with Espanyol players.

The former Liverpool striker is banned for provoking "a confrontation" after Barcelona's ill-tempered win over Espanyol in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night.

Suarez is said to have waited in the tunnel after the game for opponents after the 4-1 victory saw Espanyol have two players sent off

According to referee Juan Martinez Munuera, whose report has been published by newspaper Diario Sport, Espanyol midfielder Papakouly Diop was shown a straight red after telling the Uruguayan that "I s*** on your w***e mother" in Spanish.

The referee added: "At the end of the game, once in the tunnel, Barca’s No 9, Suarez, Luis, while the Espanyol players were coming up the stairs, waited for them and shouted at them on various occasions," he is reported as saying.

"He said: 'I’m waiting for you, come here! You’re a waste of space'.

"It provoked a confrontation between players of both clubs and the present security guards had to get involved, as did coaches of both teams."

Barcelona responded by stating that Suarez "did not use the allegedly offensive words that were attributed to him in the referee's official notes following the match."

Dani Alves took to Instagram to rant about the decision

If the ban is upheld, the Uruguayan striker will miss the return leg of the last-16 tie against Espanyol and the first leg of the quarter-final, should they qualify.

Dani Alves took to Instagram to post a remarkable rant, seemingly at opposition fans, the media and Spanish football authorities.

"Really, every passing day makes me more ashamed to be part of this sport, how we use it, how to play with us," he said (the quotes have been translated from Spanish and may not be 100 per cent accurate).

"I thought one day I would leave each to defend their colors, their teams, I thought if you win or lose if I went home angry to think how bad we miss or enjoy how well we did.

"We are objects used by the press to benefit them, so they sell papers today.

"Each time it is less talk football strategy, the moves, the dribbles of goals, and stops the show."

"The f****** garbage that [they] are."

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