Thursday 4 February 2016 21:54, UK
Filipe Luis has had his three-game suspension for a dangerous tackle on Lionel Messi reduced to one match by the Spanish Football Federation's (RFEF) appeals committee.
Luis was shown a straight red card just before half-time in last Saturday's La Liga clash at the Nou Camp for catching Messi with his studs, sparking wild protests from Luis Enrique and the Barcelona bench.
Atletico Madrid believed the initial three-game ban was unduly harsh compared to other similar incidents in La Liga, and the appeals committee confirmed in a statement that the referee report "did not explain exactly why the clash was so dangerous."
Announcing the initial three-game ban, the Spanish Federation said it reflected the "special seriousness of the incident", but Atletico sporting director Jose Luis Caminero felt a one-game ban was more appropriate.
"Similar incidents ought to be judged in the same manner and have the same punishment," Caminero said upon lodging the appeal.
"It cannot be that an identical incident that is reported in exactly the same way in the referee's report is given a one-game ban and our player Filipe is given three."
Atletico were eventually reduced to nine men at the Nou Camp as Diego Godin was also sent off in the second half as they fell three points behind Barca in the title race.
The one-game suspension means Luis is set to miss Atletico's league match against Eibar at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday, but the left-back will be available a week later when they face Getafe.
