Barcelona will have their star striker back for the Barcelona derby against Espanyol on Saturday, after their latest round of appeals has proved partially successful.
As per Marca, the Madrid Central Tribunal for Contentious Administration have suspended Lewandowski’s sanctions for the Espanyol match.
The ban will in theory still apply unless the decision goes in Barcelona’s favour, but it will at least allow Lewandowski to play while a full process is carried out. They will then give a verdict on the length of the ban.
Lewandowski was sent off in Barcelona’s final match before the break against Osasuna, but was handed an extra two-game ban after he was adjudged to have made a gesture of disregard to the referee. Lewandowski has maintained the gesture was meant for his manager Xavi Hernandez.
The ban was set to keep him out for games against Espanyol, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis in the Spanish Supercup. The suspension would extend that ban to Getafe at home, if the ruling was given out before the Atletico Madrid game and the ban maintained.
Speaking ahead of the match, Xavi admitted that he would understand Espanyol feeling unjustly treated, as their match was the one that Lewandowski would have been suspended for regardless of the extension.
He did remark that the ban was ‘unjust’ and ‘disproportionate’ thereafter.
