Only two players sent off this weekend as things quietened down after two or three hectic weeks. One of the red cards was in fact a bit of a surprise, Mallorca's mild mannered striker Okubo being shown the card in the tunnel after the match against Osasuna had ended. According to referee Iturralde González, the angry Japanese forward ran up to him when he blew the final whistle before the visitors could take a last second corner, and called him a "hijo de puta". Okubo totally denied it, adding that in his country people don't use that kind of language. In any case it is his word against the referee's, and subject to appeal he will have to sit out the next match.

Athletic Bilbao's Tarantino was also sent off in the match at Valencia (in his case for the second time this season) after being shown a straight red card for a high kick on an opponent early in the second half, and another five players will also be missing the next round of matches after picking up their fifth bookings of the season, including Lopo and Ito from Espanyol, Oriol from Racing, Adriano from Sevilla and Gabi from Atlético Madrid. As expected, Sevilla midfielder Maresca's red card from last weekend for "ironic applause" was downgraded to a yellow, although appeals for several other players were turned down. (13.12.05)