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

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.

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.