After last weekend's excesses there was a return to calm this week, with no sendings off at all (for players at least) in the 10 league matches on Saturday and Sunday. In fact the only red card to be shown was for the Racing Santander delegate, who was so upset at the referee at what he thought (wrongly) was a second booking for Sevilla's Daniel Alves that he came charging on to the pitch to tell the official that the full back should have sent the player off. Needless to say he himself got the red card and left the field with egg on his face.

There was one red card in the midweek cup games as well, Deportivo's Duscher getting his marching orders shortly before half time for a two footed tackle on Valencia's Albiol. As bans for straight reds have to be served out immediately in the next domestic match irrespective of the competition, the Argentine midfielder missed this weekend's league game (bans relating to two yellow cards can only be served out in the same competition, either league or cup).

Five players will sit out next weekend's league games after completing the cycle of yellow cards, including Valencia's Albelda, the second player to reach the ten card threshold after Zaragoza's Alvaro did so a couple of weeks ago. The Valencia midfielder moves to the top of our chart as a result. The other four to be suspended for one match are Velasco (Atlético), Nacho (Málaga), Garrido (Real Sociedad) and Quique Alvarez (Villarreal), all of whom picked up their fifth yellow cards. (24.01.06)