Real Betis Balompié will not seek a precautionary suspension for Facundo Pellistri's four-match ban. The club has decided the Uruguayan winger will begin serving the sanction immediately, starting with this Sunday's away match at Celta Vigo.
"El Betis no solicitará la suspensión cautelar de la sanción impuesta a Facundo Pellistri," the club stated on Thursday. The sporting direction believes attempting to postpone the ban could lead to it being served at a "more inconvenient" time later in the season. The aim is to resolve the player's situation as soon as possible and avoid future uncertainties.
Facundo Pellistri will be unavailable for the team's next four fixtures. He will miss the league game at Celta, the Copa del Rey first-round match against Navalcarnero, and the La Liga clashes with Málaga and Elche. The suspension was imposed for his involvement in a fight with Barcelona's Lamine Yamal last Saturday, in the match Betis lost 2-5.
The decision to forgo a precautionary appeal has a major reason. Had it been requested and granted, the sanction would have been delayed, causing Pellistri to miss the Seville derby in matchday 13 on November 22nd at the Sánchez-Pizjuán. For a team sitting fourth in the standings with 19 points, losing a key player for the most important match of the year would be a significant blow.
Although the Betis squad has depth, Pellistri's absence is felt. The Uruguayan was a natural option for the pivot role, a position where Marc Roca has started the season in good form. The team, coming off a 1-0 win over Feyenoord in Europe, will look to maintain its positive run of three wins, one draw, and one loss in its last five matches. The next opponent, Celta, is eighth in the table.
The club will analyze in the coming days the possibility of filing an appeal to try to reduce the sanction, though hopes are slim as four matches is the technical minimum for assault. Meanwhile, the team prepares for the trip to Vigo without one of its men. The next stop after the international break will be, precisely, the derby.
Read the full report at Marca - Primera
