Kervin Arriaga hit with three-match ban for disrespecting officials
Levante midfielder faces harsh punishment from Spanish football authorities following his red card against Valencia, missing crucial fixtures against Villarreal, Barcelona and Alavés.
Levante’s Kervin Arriaga has been slapped with a hefty three-match suspension following his dismissal in Sunday’s clash with Valencia.
Punishment Breakdown
The Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee didn’t take kindly to the Honduran midfielder’s antics during Levante’s matchday 24 fixture. The committee’s report breaks down the punishment as follows:
- One match for the standard double yellow card offence
- Two additional matches for “attitudes of contempt or disrespect towards referees, directors or sporting authorities”
- An additional fine under Article 52 of the disciplinary code
This is a proper kick in the teeth for Levante, as they’ll now be without Arriaga for a crucial stretch of fixtures in their campaign.
Fixtures Affected
The ban means Arriaga will miss:
- Wednesday’s rescheduled matchday 16 clash against Villarreal (previously postponed due to severe weather)
- The upcoming battle against Barcelona
- The fixture versus Deportivo Alavés
Talk about bad timing! Losing a key player for matches against the likes of Barça isn’t what the doctor ordered.
Iborra Also Banned
To make matters worse for Levante, assistant coach Vicente Iborra has copped the same punishment - a three-match touchline ban. The breakdown of his suspension includes:
- Two matches for protesting
- One additional match for failing to head to the dressing room after seeing red
Levante will need to sort out their discipline sharpish if they want to avoid more selection headaches in the coming weeks. Losing both a player and coach for three games is hardly ideal, is it?