Atletico Madrid forward Ángel Correa has been handed a five-match suspension following his red card and subsequent outburst at the referee during his team’s 2-1 La Liga defeat to Getafe on Sunday.
Correa was sent off in the 88th minute for a high tackle and then directed abusive remarks at referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernández. The Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee ruled that the forward would serve a one-game suspension for the red card and an additional four matches for his comments.
Atletico’s appeal, which cited Correa’s emotional state and the high-pressure nature of the match, was dismissed. The committee stated that being “extremely nervous” could not justify the “series of severe expressions directed at the referee.”
Following the incident, Correa issued an apology on social media platform X.
“I have total respect for the referees, and this reaction is not typical of me,” he wrote. “I was very angry for leaving the team with ten men at such a crucial moment and reacted in the worst way. I hope he accepts my most sincere apologies.”
Atletico had been leading at the time of Correa’s dismissal, but the defeat left them third in La Liga, trailing Real Madrid and Barcelona by a single point.
The Argentine striker will miss several key fixtures, including the second leg of Atletico’s Copa del Rey semi-final against Barcelona, as well as league games against Hansi Flick’s side, Espanyol, Sevilla, and Valladolid.