Yesterday afternoon, the Royal Spanish Football Federation announced its decision following Kylian Mbappé’s harsh challenge that led to his red card against Alavés. Contrary to what many fans expected, he has only been suspended for one match. A decision that didn’t sit well in Barcelona, where a firm reaction has already been voiced.

"It's a disgrace"

Specifically, Rafa Yuste, sporting vice president of FC Barcelona and one of the most trusted figures within the club, expressed his frustration. Even amid the joy of qualifying for the Champions League semifinals for the first time in six years, he couldn’t hide his disagreement with the punishment Kylian Mbappé received… and made his feelings known on RAC 1 radio.

“The tackle and the punishment are absolutely absurd. It was chilling and could’ve seriously injured the opponent. It’s a disgrace,” stated Rafa Yuste, echoing the general sentiment in Barcelona regarding the decision. Mbappé will only miss Real Madrid’s upcoming LaLiga match against Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabéu and will still be eligible to play in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on April 26.

Rafa Yuste Celebrates Champions League Qualification

Still, Rafa Yuste chose not to go deeper into Kylian Mbappé’s red card and instead focused on his happiness about Barcelona reaching the Champions League semifinals… despite losing in Dortmund: “It’s nerve-wracking because everything is so close. This is a winning team and with Hansi and his staff, plus Deco and the rest of the board, we are very competitive and hungry for titles. Obviously, the goal was to make it to the semifinals, and we achieved that. The coaching staff are people who are always striving for excellence and improving game by game, trying to give the best image possible.”

He also added that he didn’t expect Barcelona to be in such a strong position at this point in the season: “No one expected that with Flick, who had just arrived but brought a lot of experience from Bayern and the German national team, and who implemented new methodologies, we’d be where we are now. And I’ll tell you—we haven’t won anything yet, just to keep things in perspective. We have to stay humble. We’re excited to win titles. We’re in a good position across all competitions, but I’m cautious because the games still have to be played.”