One match ban imposed on Barcelona star.



The president of the Committee set up to review Ronaldinho's red card and offence along with a possible punishment, Alfredo Perez has announced the Barcelona player has been suspended for one match.


This comes after spirited appeals and efforts by Barcelona officials to reduce the punishment at worst to one match and at best, with a mere warning without any suspension, if possible.


Ronaldinho stands to miss the crucial game against Espanyol on June 9, after the league matches have been postponed due to International matches coming up. Barcelona still plans to appeal for the suspension to be delayed by one week so as to allow the midfiled inspiration to play against more difficult opponents in Espanyol and then serve his suspension against Gimanstic in the final league game a week after the Espanyol match. The decision on this will be taken soon.


In a related development, the player at the centre of the drama, Getafe's defender Belenguer has said that Ronaldinho apologised to him after kicking him. The defender confessed:

After the kick, Ronaldinho asked me to forgive him. He believed he had hurt me. I do understand the situation and the pressure that comes with the game, especially as Barcelona are fighting to win the league and there is so much at stake.

He also dismissed speculations that Getafe were sympathetic to Real Madrid's cause of winning the Spanish League title:

Whoever wins does not matter to us. The teams at the top are battling for the title and its up to them. We in Getafe are professionals and playing our game, without necessarily playing a direct role in determining who wins the league if it's not going to be us.