FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has received a harsh two-match ban for being sent off in his team's last La Liga clash against Real Betis at the weekend.
This means that we won't see the German manning the Barca dugout in the league until late January because of the Christmas break plus the Catalans contesting the Copa del Rey locally and the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia come early 2025.
More specifically, Flick will miss fixtures against Leganes on Sunday and an important showdown with a side fast emerging as a potential rival in the title race in Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid, which visits Montjuic like Leganes on December 21.
Barca has 10 working days to lodge an appeal and plans to do so according to Mundo Deportivo, which cited anonymous sources.
Ex-Bayern boss Flick was sent off because of complaints he made following a decision from the match referee Muniz Ruiz.
It resulted in Real Betis being awarded a penalty in the 66th minute, which was subsequently converted by the hosts in the eventual 2-2 draw that saw Barca drop points.
Frenkie de Jong brought Barca loanee Vitor Roque down in the box, and as he wrote in his minutes, Muniz dismissed Flick "for leaving the technical area shouting and gesticulating, protesting one of my decisions".
The RFEF has made the ban official on the day that Barca faces Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League where considerable prize money is on offer, and the two-match punishment falls in line with article 27 of the Disciplinary Code.
Said article in the RFEF's rules explains how "protesting to the main referee, assistants or the fourth official, as long as it does not constitute a more serious offence, will be sanctioned with a suspension of two to three matches or for a period of up to one month".
Flick's ban only pertains to La Liga and will be served during the matches against Leganes and Atletico Madrid in December, as already mentioned.
This means that he can lead his team from the side of the pitch against Barbastro in the Copa del Rey last 16 on January 4, and also for a Spanish Super Cup semifinal versus Athletic Club on January 8 in addition to a potential final on January 12.
As per the league, though, it is only when away at Getafe - in a fixture set to be played on January 19 - that he can stop watching games from the stands and join his technical staff on the bench.