MADRID, Dec. 30 (.) –
FC Barcelona will be able to count this Saturday in the derby against RCD Espanyol at the Spotify Camp Nou (2:00 p.m.) with the Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, after the Central Contentious Court of Madrid has granted him a precautionary measure for his three-match ban , as confirmed by the Catalan team.
The player was sent off on November 8 in the match against Osasuna for a double yellow card, but the RFEF Competition Committee imposed three games on him, one for the expulsion, and two more for the gesture he made of touching his nose when considering that it was an attitude of contempt or inconsideration towards the referee Jesús Gil Manzano, for which he would lose the duels against Espanyol, Atlético de Madrid and Getafe.
The Barça club appealed that initial punishment, defending that Lewandowski had shown “his dissatisfaction with the treatment received by the main referee of the match”, while the forward also assured that his gesture was directed at coach Xavi Hernández.
However, both the Appeals Committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAD) dismissed the allegations of FC Barcelona, so it decided to go to the Central Contentious Court of Madrid, which granted the injunction that will allow the Pole to play against Espanyol .
“We found out when we were finishing training. We have raised throughout the week with different options knowing that we could not count on him. Being able to count on him is good news, but knowing it a day before the game when all the training sessions have been prepared to play without him is not the best ‘timing’ for us. He is also happy and surprised by the ‘timing'”, pointed out Xavi Hernández at the press conference prior to the derby.
The one from Terrassa, who reiterated that the sanction seemed “unfair and totally disproportionate” and that he understands that this precautionary measure harms Espanyol, who knew it was “a significant casualty”, asked that the matter be resolved as soon as possible.
“We are receiving information and now two or three days for the committee to appeal, all with the game tomorrow Saturday and a very tough schedule, so it would be good to know when we can have him and how long the sanction remains. The game was played in November and it had to be more than known. We still don’t know if he will be able to play against Atlético and in a few hours things could change”, he remarked.
