Barcelona not to appeal against two-match ban on Mascherano

FC Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has been suspended for two games by the Spanish football federation competition committee for insulting one of the assistant referees during Sunday's 3-1 La Liga win at home against Eibar at the Camp Nou stadium.

Representatives of the Catalan club have confirmed to EFE that it has already been notified of the sanction on Mascherano, who will miss the next two Liga games against Getafe and Villarreal, but will be available for the Clasico against Real Madrid, to be held at the Bernabeu on November 21.

They noted that the club will not appeal the sanction, after the competition committee considered Mascherano's words an expression of disrespect and applied the minimum penalty prescribed for such offences.

This is a retreat from Barcelona's position announced by one of its officials, who on Monday stressed the club's intent to appeal the sanction, calling the report from the referee not true.

The Argentina international was dismissed from last Sunday's clash against Eibar in the 82nd minute, after insulting one of the assistant referees with a phrase involving his mother.