his role in a dustup in a tunnel after Barcelona's
win over local rivals Espanyol in the Copa del Rey
on Wednesday.
Barcelona, who won an ill-tempered match 4-1
with eight Espanyol players booked and two sent
off, immediately issued a statement saying they
plan to appeal the ban.
After the final whistle, the two teams scuffled in
the tunnel where, according to referee Martinez
Munuera's report, the former Liverpool man
taunted his opponents.
Although Barca reportedly related a different
version of events to the authorities, the Spanish
FA's disciplinary committee has decided to
impose a two-game sanction, which would keep
Suarez from playing in the return leg at
Espanyol's Cornella-El Prat stadium next
Wednesday and a likely quarterfinal first leg.
Espanyol players Pape Diop and Hernan Perez,
who were both sent off during Wednesday's
game, have each received one-match
suspensions and will miss the second leg of the
round-of-16 tie.
In announcing their appeal, Barca said Suarez
had not used the words the referee wrote in his
report.
"Barcelona received notification on Friday from
the Spanish Football Federation that striker Luis
Suarez was to face a two-match suspension for
taking part [in] incidents between players from
Barca and Espanyol in the tunnel leading to the
dressing rooms following Wednesday's Copa del
Rey last 16 first leg at Camp Nou," the statement
said.
"Barcelona will immediately proceed to appeal the
ban. If the sanction holds up, Suarez would miss
the return leg next Wednesday and a
hypothetical first leg of the quarterfinals, should
Barca qualify. In the appeal, FC Barcelona is
expected to argue that the player, as he later
stated, did not use the allegedly offensive words
that were attributed to him in the referee's official
notes following the match."
Speaking at Friday's tense news conference
before the punishment was announced,
Blaugrana coach Luis Enrique said he did not
want to comment.
"It does not depend on me whether Luis Suarez
gets a punishment or not," said the former Roma
and Celta Vigo coach, who after Wednesday's
game had dismissed the noises heard coming
from the Camp Nou tunnel as "Christmas carols."
The first leg also saw other conflicts between the
teams, including Espanyol goalkeeper Pau Lopez
appearing to stand on Lionel Messi's ankle,
although the youngster has denied any malicious
intent.
Barca defender Gerard Pique also fanned the
flames with some disparaging postmatch
comments about the Catalan capital's smaller
club, questioning their ability to fill the 40,500
capacity Cornella-El Prat stadium for the return
game next week -- comments that may see him
charged by La Liga's anti-violence committee.
The recent 0-0 La Liga draw between the two
teams at Cornella-El Prat was also a controversial
affair, and La Liga's authorities have officially
denounced racist chants aimed at both Neymar
and Luis Enrique during that game.
Suarez, who has a long history of controversy on
the pitch and is still serving out his nine-match
FIFA ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the
2014 World Cup, is due to return to international
service for Uruguay's fifth World Cup qualifier
away to Brazil this March.
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