Two game touchline ban for Real Madrid coach, Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has been given a two-game touchline by the Disciplinary Committee of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for showing a lack of respect to the referee at the end of his side's game at home to Valencia on Saturday.

The game ended in a 2-2 draw which just about ends Real Madrid' s options of winning this season's BBVA Primera Liga title and Ancelotti showed his frustration to referee Clos Gomez, who explained events in his post match report.

"At the end of the game, the local coach, Carlo Ancelotti, from 30 meters away directed himself to me applauding incessantly and ostensibly in a sign of disapproval of our performance. Straight afterwards he retired into the tunnel to the dressing room, where he repeated the gesture to my first assistant," wrote Gomez.

The sanction means Ancelotti will have to watch Real Madrid's last two matches, an away trip against Espanyol and a home tie against Getafe, from the stands, although with the threat of the strike by players and the RFEF still hanging over Spanish football those matches may not take place. Endite