Frenkie de Jong’s late red card in the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid will have clear and unavoidable consequences for Barcelona, extending beyond the confines of the tournament itself.
While it is often assumed that disciplinary actions in short competitions like the Super Cup are isolated incidents, the reality under Spanish football regulations is very different.
Notably, the Spanish Super Cup is an official competition organised by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
As per SPORT, this detail is crucial because it means that any disciplinary sanctions handed out during the tournament are fully binding and carry over into other federation-governed competitions.
In simple terms, cards shown in the Super Cup do not disappear once the trophy has been awarded.
De Jong misses next game
Under RFEF disciplinary rules, suspensions resulting from red cards must be served in the next official match played by the team, regardless of which competition that match belongs to.
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The system does not prioritise La Liga over the Copa del Rey or vice versa. Instead, it follows a strict chronological order.
This means the next match on the calendar is where the suspension is applied.
In De Jong’s case, a straight red card normally results in a one-match ban, provided the referee’s report does not include aggravating details that could increase the punishment.
At present, the expectation is that the sanction will remain at the minimum level.
Barcelona’s next official fixture after the Super Cup final is their Copa del Rey match against Racing Santander on January 15.
As a result, De Jong will serve his suspension in that game and he will remain available for La Liga action because the domestic cup tie comes first in the sequence of competitions.