Barcelona player to miss first two matches of next season’s Champions League

It’s safe to say that Barcelona lost their heads when they were dumped out of the Champions League earlier this season by Paris Saint-Germain. Having led 3-2 from the first leg in Paris, the Catalans ended up losing 4-1 on their home turf, with three personnel shown red cards by referee Istvan Kovacs.

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Ronald Araujo was dismissed for a last man challenge on Bradley Barcola, while manager Xavi Hernandez and goalkeeping coach Jose Ramon de la Fuente also saw red. As per Marca, Xavi has been handed a two-match ban for his conduct, with the other two each being suspended for the first match of next season’s Champions League.

Sergi Roberto has also been handed a suspension by UEFA for “unsportsmanlike conduct and inappropriate language” towards Kovacs. The 32-year-old did not play in the return leg against PSG due to a ban for accumulation of yellow cards, and like Xavi, he has also been given a two-match suspension.

Roberto is unlikely to feature in either of Barcelona’s first two matches of next season’s competition anyway, while Xavi’s suspension may not matter for 2024-25, as he’s expected to be sacked by Joan Laporta in the coming days.