Disciplinary Committee Upholds Red Card Decision for Antony

The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation convened today in Madrid and has dismissed the claims presented by the legal team of Real Betis concerning the direct red card issued to Brazilian player Antony during the match against Girona last Sunday. Antony received the card after striking an opponent in the face while attempting to shoot at the goal with his back turned.

As a result, Antony faces a one-match suspension, which will exclude him from the Sevilla derby scheduled for next Sunday at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium. Following the notification of the ruling, the management of Real Betis has decided to continue their fight by appealing to the Appeals Committee, aiming to overturn the disciplinary decision made by referee Iosu Galech after consulting the VAR.

Antony’s anticipated absence in the derby adds to the list of unavailable players, including Pau López and Bellerín due to injuries, and raises uncertainty around Lo Celso, who is dealing with physical discomfort that prevented him from completing the match against Míchel’s team. Without Antony, head coach Manuel Pellegrini will need to restructure the starting attacking lineup, with captain Isco gaining a chance to start after returning to play on Sunday following a three-month injury absence.

In their written statement, the Committee stated: “After examining the claims made by Real Betis Balompié and reviewing the video evidence included in the case file, this Committee concludes that the conditions necessary to challenge the veracity of the referee’s report are not met. Neither the club’s assertions—primarily aimed at portraying the action as a legitimate technical gesture without intent and resulting from incidental contact—nor the provided images unequivocally demonstrate that the events did not occur as described by the referee.”

“On the contrary, the content of the video does not indicate a clear material error regarding the existence of impact during the ball dispute, which the referee deemed to constitute the sanctioned action. Consequently, no evidence has been presented that would call into question the version reflected in the report, thus maintaining its full probative value and, accordingly, the disciplinary consequences stemming from the expulsion agreed upon on the field of play,” the Committee added.

“For the reasons stated above, the request of Real Betis Balompié is denied, and therefore, the disciplinary consequences resulting from the expulsion of player D. Antony Matheus Dos Santos are upheld, imposing a one-match suspension as stipulated in Article 130.1 of the RFEF Disciplinary Code at its minimum level, along with the corresponding accessory fines in accordance with Article 52.2,” the conclusion reads.