Messi awaits sanction

At this time, Leo Messi is in the hands of Carmen Pérez, sole competition judge for the Copa del Rey, who will decide on Tuesday the sanction of the Argentine for his expulsion in the final of the Spanish Super Cup against Athletic. According to the minutes drawn up by Gil Manzano, Messi saw a direct red card for “hitting an opponent with his arm using excessive force while the ball was in play, but not at a distance from being played.” The Argentine is exposed to a sanction of between two and twelve games, although the Barça club has presented allegations and, due to the antecedents it manages, it hopes that the punishment will remain in two games. Messi, therefore, would hardly miss the trap match of the Round of 32 Cup in Cornellà and the League match in Elche next Sunday at 4:15 p.m.. The Argentine will take the opportunity to fully recover from muscle problems in the back of his left leg that prevented him from fully performing in the final.

Messi was sent off for the first time in his 753 games with the Barça first team. His only expulsion at the club level was with the subsidiary in a match against Peña Sport. That had been fifteen years. With Argentina he had only been expelled twice. One, in his debut with the Albiceleste in Budapest. The second, against Chile for facing Medel. It was in the Copa América 2019. 753 games later, the first came with Barça and now he awaits the Competition sanction.

Carmen Pérez, the sole competition judge, replaced Francisco Rubio in August 2018. She is a doctor in right and a tenured professor of Public International Law and International Relations at the Carlos III University of Madrid. She is the first woman throughout history to preside over these federative bodies. Pérez was a member of the CEDD, a body prior to the Administrative Tribunal. His experience is vast. So much so that she is the author of 50 publications in the field of international and European sports law.