Brazilian forward Neymar will miss Barcelona's match away to Real Madrid on april 23 after being handed a three-match ban in Spain. The Spanish League's Competition Committee, headed by President Paco Rubio, met on tuesday to decide the punishment.
Neymar was sent off against Malaga on sunday for two bookable offences after fiddling with his boots in order to delay a rival's free kick and fouling Diego Llorente.
He would have escaped with a one-game ban but because he sarcastically clapped the match officials after he was red-carded, he has been hit with an extra two games.
Barcelona will appeal the ban and will find out on wednesday if their appeal has been successful.
Precedents suggest the decision will be upheld, ruling the player out of the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu and home games against Real Sociedad and Osasuna.
