A Real Madrid player may be facing a significant UEFA sanction following an incident during their Champions League quarter-final second-leg loss to Arsenal.
Arsenal secured a 2-1 victory on the night (5-1 on aggregate), with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli scoring on either side of Vinicius Junior’s goal. The win sees Mikel Arteta’s side advance to the semi-finals, where they will face PSG, who narrowly edged past Aston Villa.
While Madrid’s Champions League campaign has ended for this season, one of their veteran players could still be hit with a suspension.
During the halftime interval on Wednesday, injured Madrid captain Dani Carvajal—who wasn’t part of the matchday squad—was seen confronting Saka near the tunnel. Initially appearing to exchange words with his teammates from the sidelines, Carvajal then approached the Arsenal winger and made physical contact, reportedly slapping him on the head and chest. Saka reacted with visible frustration before staff and security stepped in.
Spanish media suggest Carvajal could face a suspension of up to four matches. According to MARCA, UEFA may penalize him for being in the technical area despite not being eligible to play. AS references Article 15 of UEFA’s disciplinary rules, which includes potential sanctions for participating in a match while ineligible.
Any disciplinary action would likely depend on whether the referee included the altercation in his official match report.
Carvajal has been sidelined since October 5 due to a serious ACL injury sustained in a match against Villarreal and is not expected to return this season.
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