Umtiti lucky to avoid a second booking for sarcastic clapping
The Barça defender was booked by referee Martinez Munuera for wasting time, and was lucky to escape a second yellow after he sarcastically clapped the decision.
Referee Martínez Munuera let Samuel Umtiti off the hook in the 81st minute of Barcelona's hard-fought victory over Athletic Club at San Mamés.
Umtiti gets away with sarcastic applause
The centre-half was shown a yellow card for time-wasting and responded to that decision by sarcastically applauding the referee, a bookable offence. Yet Martínez Munuera did not reach back in to his pocket to brandish a second booking, despite vociferous protests from the Athletic players. Barcelona were winning 1-0 at the time.
Iturralde González, resident referee at Diario AS, was unequivocal in his assessment: "The referee should have sent Umtiti off with a second yellow card for applauding his after showing a booking. It's thoughtless. It is possible that he was writing [Umtiti's name in respect of the booking] and did not see the defender's gesture."
Barcelona defender could face a ban
Umtiti's misdemeanour comes three days after Fran Mérida of Osasuna was banned for three matches for committing a similar act.
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