La Liga: Real Madrid player faces lengthy suspension!

Madrid—Real Madrid’s teenage Argentine midfielder Franco Mastantuono is staring at a heavy La Liga ban after being sent off for verbally abusing referee Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz in Monday night’s shock 1-0 home defeat to Getafe on Matchday 26.

The 19-year-old, signed last winter from River Plate, received a straight red card in the 94th minute at the Santiago Bernabéu. The official post-match report submitted to the Spanish Football Federation details that Mastantuono approached the referee and shouted repeatedly: “What a shame… what a shame, you idiot,” amplifying the insult with each repetition.

Under the RFEF disciplinary code, such offences normally carry a two-to-three-match suspension, but the wording allows the ban to stretch to a full month if the incident is deemed aggravated. With the disciplinary committee set to review the case on Tuesday, Mastantuono risks missing a crucial stretch of fixtures for Álvaro Arbeloa’s side as they fight to climb back into the European places.

Real Madrid have yet to issue an official statement, though club sources indicate they will await the written resolution before deciding on any internal sanction or appeal.