Sevilla FC faces mounting suspension crisis after four red cards in eleven LaLiga matches
Sevilla FC is grappling with a mounting disciplinary crisis after accumulating four red cards in just eleven LaLiga matches, a concerning trend that threatens to derail the club’s domestic campaign under manager Luis García Plaza. The alarming frequency of dismissals has left the Andalusian side shorthanded repeatedly, forcing the coaching staff into continuous tactical readjustments as the squad prepares for upcoming fixtures at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium.
Matchday fallout from the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez
The disciplinary woes deepened significantly on Sunday, November 1, during Sevilla’s 3-1 defeat away against Getafe. In the game’s dying moments at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, midfielder Manu Bueno received a direct red card in stoppage time for bringing down Martín Satriano as the last man. That late dismissal marked the team’s fourth red card of the current LaLiga season, a rate of more than one ejection every three matches. Records show that only Getafe, with five red cards, surpasses Sevilla’s total in the competition so far.
Tracing the season’s four costly red card incidents
The numerical disadvantages have directly damaged Sevilla’s points tally, costing the team valuable ground in the league standings. The expulsion series began on August 15, when Kike Salas was shown a straight red card in the 88th minute of the opening fixture against Rayo Vallecano during his 100th appearance for the first team, forcing him to miss the subsequent trip to Athletic Club. Arouna Sangante followed with a second-half dismissal during a match against RCD Espanyol. Forward Isaac Romero then picked up a double yellow card—the second for celebrating his 95th-minute goal in front of the opposing supporters—during the eighth matchday against Levante, which kept him out of a subsequent clash with Real Madrid. Finally, Manu Bueno’s red card against Getafe triggered an automatic suspension for the next outing.
The heavy price paid in dropped points
Playing with ten men has repeatedly compromised Sevilla’s ability to protect leads or secure results. Out of four matches featuring a sending-off, the club managed to salvage only five out of a possible twelve points. Only the opening fixture against Rayo Vallecano ended positively, where the team preserved a 1-1 deadlock before snatching a 2-1 victory via a 90+7th-minute penalty converted by Peque. In the other three instances, opponents capitalized on the numerical advantage: Espanyol leveled the match in the 98th minute, Levante equalized in the 100th minute, and Getafe sealed their 3-1 win in the 94th minute. Consequently, both of Sevilla’s draws this term stem from victories that slipped away deep into stoppage time while playing a man down.
Sourcing disciplinary comparisons with previous campaigns
The current disciplinary trouble represents a departure from the previous season under former manager Almeyda. Throughout the entire prior campaign, Sevilla players received only one more red card in total than they have already accumulated in the opening eleven rounds of this season, excluding a lengthy suspension handed to the Argentine coach following a touchline dispute during a match against Sevilla-Alavés. While the team is not considered unusually aggressive by nature, their 31 total yellow cards trail only Getafe and Espanyol in frequency. Last season, by contrast, the side led LaLiga in cautions with 105 total yellow cards, driven by a high-risk tactical approach of open-field man-marking. This season’s bookings stem partly from a defensive line attempting to press far from its own goal, alongside frequent cautions for referee dissent.
Surgical room updates and defensive reshuffling
Luis García Plaza faces immediate selection dilemmas ahead of upcoming fixtures due to suspensions and injuries. Manu Bueno’s red-card ban compounds existing long-term absences, including Marcao, who has battled a right quadriceps rectus femoris injury since the Trofeo Antonio Puerta, and Miguel Sierra, who underwent surgery for an acromioclavicular shoulder dislocation sustained against Levante. Furthermore, Isaac Romero departed the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez with left knee internal lateral ligament discomfort and remains doubtful pending medical tests, while Youssouf Fofana was substituted in the 72nd minute against Getafe due to physical fitness concerns.
Upcoming fixtures and disciplinary tightrope walk
Sevilla sits sixth in the LaLiga table with 17 points from five wins, two draws, and four losses, trailing fourth-placed rival Real Betis on 23 points. The immediate challenge arrives on Friday, November 6, at 21:00 hours, when Sevilla hosts Deportivo Alavés at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. The fixture carries extra narrative weight as García Plaza faces the club he managed from May 2022 to December 2024 across 108 official matches. On the bright side, no Sevilla players crossed the threshold into suspension danger for yellow card accumulation against Getafe, leaving five squad members—Juan Iglesias, Gabriel Suazo, Lucien Agoumé, Jon Guridi, and Isaac Romero—sitting on three cautions. With the five-yellow suspension threshold intact, none of them face missing the upcoming Gran Derbi against Real Betis scheduled for Saturday, November 21, at 18:30 hours following the international break.
Related reading
/data/photo/2026/08/29/6a92f3a0475b6.jpeg)