Real Madrid player Dean Huijsen has been handed a one-match suspension following his red card in the derby against Atletico de Madrid at the Metropolitano.
The Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation also issued one-match bans to Pedro Luis Ferreira, an assistant to Jose Mourinho, and Pablo Vercellone, the goalkeeper coach for Atletico de Madrid, following dismissals during the same seventh-round La Liga fixture.
Huijsen was sent off after holding an opponent to prevent a clear goalscoring opportunity. Match official Miguel Angel Ortiz initially showed the defender a yellow card for pulling back Atletico forward Giuliano Simeone, but upgraded the decision to a direct red card following a review by the Video Assistant Referee.
The foul occurred inside the penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick that put Atletico de Madrid 1-0 ahead in the derby match.
Tunnel confrontation and coaching staff suspensions
Both Ferreira and Vercellone were sent off during the 45th minute of the match after an altercation near the dressing rooms. According to the match report filed by referee Ortiz, the two technical staff members confronted each other in the tunnel once the first half had concluded, sparking a wider confrontation involving players and staff from both teams.
The committee ruled that both coaches will miss their team's next fixture due to conduct contrary to good sporting order. The resolution also confirmed that both individuals will receive an accessory financial fine alongside their suspensions.
Atletico de Madrid manager Diego Pablo Simeone received a formal caution from the disciplinary panel. The Argentine head coach had been booked in the sixth minute of the game for making gestures, observations, and objections toward the refereeing staff.
Schedule compliance and official warning
In addition to individual sanctions, the Disciplinary Committee issued a formal reminder to Real Madrid regarding match scheduling regulations. The club delayed its return to the pitch after the half-time interval by five minutes, according to the official referee report.
Citing section six of the referee report covering additional observations, the committee instructed Real Madrid to exercise extreme diligence in adhering strictly to official kick-off times for both halves of future matches and to implement necessary compliance measures.
Competition governance and club background
The match at the Metropolitano Stadium forms part of the rivalry between Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid, two of the top clubs in Spanish professional football. The fixture, known as El Derbi Madrileño, is one of the most high-profile encounters in La Liga.
Disciplinary oversight for top-flight Spanish football is managed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body responsible for administering match bans, fines, and operational standards. Committees review official match reports submitted by refereeing teams after each matchday to enforce sporting conduct rules.
The application of Video Assistant Referee technology in La Liga allows officials to review high-impact decisions, including red cards for denying obvious goalscoring opportunities. Under standard football regulations, a direct red card for preventing a clear goalscoring chance carries an automatic single-match ban in domestic competitions.
Diego Pablo Simeone has managed Atletico de Madrid since 2011, leading the team through domestic and European campaigns, while his son Giuliano Simeone plays as a forward for the club. Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen and coaching staff members Pedro Luis Ferreira and Pablo Vercellone will serve their single-match suspensions during their respective clubs' upcoming fixtures.
