Real Madrid star may face ban for altercation with Arsenal star

Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Arsenal in less than dramatic fashion from the perspetive of the Madridistas, and the frustration at the Santiago Bernabeu was palpable, as Los Blancos struggled to trouble their visitors. That much was evident even for the players not playing.

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Bukayo Saka was at the heart of Arsenal’s victory on Wednesday night, scoring the opener for the Gunners, and missing an early penalty. His chipped effort was halted by Thibaut Courtois, and wildly celebrated by the Belgian.

The impudence of his effort did not go down well with Real Madrid vice-captain Dani Carvajal by the looks of things. At half-time as the players went into the dressing rooms, Carvajal was seen at the mouth of the tunnel saying something to Saka in his ear. After the Englishman responded, Carvajal was seen attempting to grab Saka, before being separated by functionaries and other players. While it is not known, Saka’s penalty effort is said to be what wound up Carvajal.

It was an add-on that could come with stringent punishment for the veteran defender. The 33-year-old, injured since October and not in the matchday squad, was not permitted to be on the sidelines, as per UEFA regulations, and Marca report that it could land him in hot water.

They note that a similar incident occurred with Xabi Alonso in 2016, when the injured Basque midfielder celebrated Real Madrid’s goals by running onto the pitch from his seat next to the bench. He was then banned for one game, forcing him to miss the European Supercup final the following season.

This would not be the first time that Real Madrid’s stars have found themselves in trouble with UEFA this season. Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and Dani Ceballos all received fines for their celebrations at the Metropolitano in the Round of 16, with the former two also receiving one-game suspended bans.