Facundo Bernal handed four-match ban for headbutting Lamine Yamal twice

Facundo Bernal now knows the cost of his clash with Lamine Yamal. The RFEF Disciplinary Committee announced on Wednesday a four-match suspension for the Real Betis midfielder, who was sent off last Saturday during the league meeting with Barcelona after headbutting the young winger twice in a heated confrontation. The punishment rules the Uruguayan out of Betis' next three LaLiga games and their upcoming Copa del Rey tie, a significant blow for Manuel Pellegrini's squad.

• Facundo Bernal has received a four-match ban for aggression toward Lamine Yamal.
• The referee's report states he grabbed his opponent by the neck and headbutted him twice in quick succession.
• He will miss Celta Vigo, Malaga and Elche in LaLiga, plus the Copa del Rey game against Navalcarnero.
• Betis will not have him back until the Seville derby on the weekend of November 22.
• With the minimum sanction already applied, the club has very little room to appeal.

The incident that left Betis with ten men against Barcelona

It all unfolded right at the start of the second half at the Benito Villamarín. Betis goalkeeper Valles tried to pull Fermín up roughly while the midfielder was still on the ground, and Lamine Yamal stepped in to help his teammate. Facundo Bernal then appeared on the scene, grabbed the Barcelona youngster and struck him with his head, a sequence that referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea described bluntly in his official report.

What the referee's report says about Bernal's red card

The Basque official left no room for interpretation. He noted that in the 54th minute the Betis player was sent off for holding an opponent by the neck and delivering two consecutive headbutts to his face, all while the ball was out of play. The report also makes clear that Lamine Yamal required no medical attention and was able to continue without any problem.

The opponent did not require medical assistance and was able to continue the match. The action took place while play was stopped.

Four matches: the minimum ban that complicates Betis' appeal

The Disciplinary Committee has classified Bernal's conduct under article 103 of the Disciplinary Code, which covers acts of aggression without injury when they occur while play is stopped or far from where the ball is being contested. That provision allows suspensions ranging from four to twelve matches, and the Betis midfielder has been handed the minimum. Rather than good news for the Andalusian club, this leaves them with almost no room to challenge the decision, because it is hard to argue for a lighter punishment when the lowest possible sanction has already been imposed.

The route of Spain's Administrative Tribunal for Sport also looks unlikely to produce a precautionary measure that would let the player compete while any appeal is resolved. Betis therefore have to accept losing one of their rotational midfield options during a busy stretch of the season.

Which matches Facundo Bernal will miss

Because this is a serious sanction, the suspension applies across all domestic competitions. Bernal will be unavailable for the league fixtures against Celta Vigo on October 25, Malaga on October 31 and Elche on November 8. Added to those three absences is the Copa del Rey tie Betis will play next week against Navalcarnero.

Return in the Seville derby after the international break

The Uruguayan midfielder will be available again for the derby against Sevilla, scheduled for the weekend of November 22, just after the next international window. It will be a welcome return for a side that must now reshape its midfield without one of its regular alternatives until then.