Barcelona’s Leon receives two-match ban for inappropriate touch

Madrid: Barcelona defender Mapi Leon has been handed a two-match ban by Liga F for inappropriately touching Espanyol defender Daniela Caracas during the Catalan derby in February, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

Leon was accused of “violating Caracas’ intimacy” on Feb 10 after appearing to inappropriately touch the Espanyol defender in the groin area while saying something to her as they lined up inside the box for a set piece, a mere 15 minutes after kickoff.

Espanyol expressed their “total discontent and condemnation” of Leon’s actions and backed the Colombian defender.

Liga F did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The 29-year-old has denied the allegations, saying there was “no contact with her private parts”.

“At no time did I, nor was it my intention, infringe upon the intimacy of my fellow professional Daniela Caracas,” she added.

Leon served the first match ban last weekend against Atletico Madrid and will be absent from Barcelona’s upcoming league fixture against Sevilla.

Barcelona, who are four points clear of the second-placed Real Madrid, failed with an appeal over the suspension.

Likewise, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe will serve a one-match suspension following his tackle on Alaves’ Antonio Blanco, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said on Tuesday.

The Frenchman was shown a straight red card in Sunday’s game against Alaves for a violent challenge on midfielder Blanco, with the referee overturning his initial decision to give him a yellow after a VAR review.

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The RFEF’s Disciplinary Committee ruled the dismissal warranted the minimum one-match sanction under article 130 of its regulations.