Calm returned this weekend after the excesses of the past few days, with only three red cards this time around. The disciplinary committee were nevertheless busy sorting out the mess from last weekend, and with 30 players up for suspension they had a mass of appeals to get through. Three were eventually let off, including Edmilson, who had his second yellow card cancelled from Barcelona's game at Osasuna (ergo Milosevic dived and it should not have been a penalty!), and from the same match Puñal also had his tenth yellow card ruled out. Alavés defender Juanito's sending off was also put on hold by the CEDD later in the week, allowing him also to play next Sunday.

Back to this weekend, where Gavilán was the first to go after picking up two bookings against Deportivo on Saturday. With the disciplinary committee not due to meet until Wednesday, he could still play against Barcelona on Tuesday evening, although Schuster will probably rest him anyway to get the ban out of the way. Atlético's Kezman also picked up two yellow cards later in the evening at Villarreal, and Athletic Bilbao's Expósito was sent off late in the game against Celta Vigo for the same reason. Celta's Giovanella was given messages of support from both sides before kick off at San Mamés after a two year doping ban was upheld midweek. The Brazilian midfielder (who is a devout Christian and who strongly denies the charges) was given a special hug by Gurpegui, who himself is fighting a similar ban in the Spanish courts.

Eight players will also miss out on the midweek round of games after completing the next five yellow card cycle, including Espanyol's two first choice forwards Tamudo and Luis García, and two also from Celta (Oubiña and Antonio Nuñez). They all picked up their fifth bookings, as did Bezares (Cádiz) and Jesús Navas (Sevilla). Guti (Real Madrid) was shown his tenth yellow card of the season, the same number as Edmilson (Barcelona) who, as mentioned above, was allowed to play against Real Sociedad after a one match ban was cancelled. The Brazilian midfielder injured himself near the end of the game and had to go off, but was sent back on to "win" a yellow card for time wasting and therefore serve out a new ban whilst injured. Had that been Beckham there would have been an enormous outcry! ((21.03.06)