La Liga hand Sergio Canales ban for comments about referee Mateu Lahoz in the midst of Barcelona scandal

Real Betis star Sergio Canales has been handed a four-match ban by La Liga as they aim to crack down on referee criticism amid the ongoing Barcelona scandal.

Back in October, Canales was sent off after receiving two quick-fire yellow cards against Atletico Madrid.

After the match, the former Barcelona player made some comments about the referee on the day, Mateu Lahoz.

Canales explained he got given his first booking for trying to argue with Lahoz, who apparently told him: “If you keep talking I’ll send you off.”

Whilst the second yellow card was for telling him: “OK, if you don’t let me talk then don’t ask me personal questions or anything about my family.”

Canales was far from happy with the decision and claimed that he believes this sending off was premeditated.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Canales will now receive a four-match ban for his comments.

This decision comes in the midst of alleged corruption involving Barcelona and the officials.

It was reported that former club executives Oscar Grau and Albert Soler are on the list of defendants alongside ex-referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, whose company received as much as $7.5 million from the Catalan club between 2001 and 2018.

They are being accused of corruption in sport, corruption in business, false administration and the falsification of commercial documents.

A statement from the prosecutors said: “Through presidents Rosell and Bartomeu, Barcelona reached and maintained a strictly confidential verbal agreement with the defendant Negreira, so that, in his capacity as vice president of the refereeing committee and in exchange for money, he would carry out actions aimed at favouring Barcelona in the decision making of the referees in the matches played by the club, and thus in the results of the competitions.”

Barcelona are believed to have denied any wrongdoing.