Fakayejo Paul
Madrid, Spain – Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé’s participation in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona is now in serious doubt after he received a straight red card in today’s La Liga match against Deportivo Alavés.
The incident occurred in the first half of the game when Mbappé was dismissed for a reckless high challenge on Alavés midfielder Antonio Blanco.
The referee initially showed a yellow card but, after a VAR review, upgraded it to a straight red.
While the standard suspension for a direct red card in La Liga is typically 1 to 3 matches for violent conduct not deemed overly aggressive, reports from Spanish media outlet @diarioas suggest that the Disciplinary Committee could potentially impose a suspension of 4 or more matches.
This would be considered an ‘extreme decision’ but is reportedly not being ruled out depending on the severity assessed in the referee’s official report.
According to Article 130 of the Spanish FA’s Disciplinary Code, for “violence in play” where the ball is being contested and no injury is inflicted, the suspension ranges from one to three matches. However, the Committee has the authority to increase this depending on their interpretation of the foul.
The Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Estadio La Cartuja in Seville.
A suspension of four or more matches would exclude Mbappé from this highly anticipated El Clásico.
Real Madrid will be anxiously awaiting the Disciplinary Committee’s decision, as the potential absence of their star forward would be a significant setback in their quest for the Copa del Rey title.
This red card adds significant drama to the lead-up to the final.