Barcelona star Luis Suarez hit with two-match ban for 'altercation' with players

Barcelona star Luis Suarez has been handed a two-match ban for an alleged altercation with Espanyol players in the tunnel at Camp Nou following the conclusion of Wednesday night's Copa del Rey match.

The game ended in a 4-1 triumph for the Catalan giants, but it was not without drama as two Espanyol players were sent off during the 90 minutes.

In referee Juan Martinez Munuera's post-match report, he noted that Suarez waited for the Espanyol players to return to their dressing room and "provoked a clash" that required security personnel to intervene.

The referee has alleged that Suarez said: "Here I am waiting for you, come here, you are a waste of space."

As a result, Suarez has been banned for two games, but Barcelona have released a statement confirming that they will appeal the sanction and are "expected to argue that the player, as he later stated, did not use the allegedly offensive words that were attributed to him in the referee's official notes following the match".

Should Barcelona lose their appeal, Suarez will be unable to play in the return leg next Wednesday and the first leg of the quarter-finals should the team progress.