Real Madrid players are expected to face suspensions but may avoid them through the appeal process before their Champions League clash with Arsenal, according to Keith Hackett.<\/p>\n
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official told *Football Insider* that Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Antonio Rudiger, and Dani Ceballos could delay their bans while UEFA\u2019s ongoing investigation continues.<\/p>\n
The four players have been accused of \u201cindecent\u201d celebrations following their side\u2019s penalty-shootout victory over Atletico Madrid in the previous round of the Champions League.<\/p>\n
Former Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez\u2019s penalty \u201cmiss\u201d added to the controversy, as a VAR review deemed his effort had struck both feet, allowing Real Madrid to progress to the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
Now, with the Spanish giants facing possible suspensions for what Hackett has described as \u201cunacceptable\u201d conduct, Mikel Arteta\u2019s team could gain a significant advantage for the first leg on Tuesday, 8 April.<\/p>\n
Arsenal could benefit from Real Madrid suspensions<\/p>\n
Arsenal secured their quarter-final spot by defeating PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate, largely thanks to an emphatic 7-1 win in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, while Real Madrid could be missing key players, Bukayo Saka might be ready to return for Arsenal, having been out with a hamstring injury since December.<\/p>\n
Hackett explained to *Football Insider* that UEFA has a history of imposing \u201cstrong sanctions\u201d in such cases, raising hopes among Arsenal supporters that Real\u2019s stars will be sidelined for the tie.<\/p>\n
However, if the Spanish club appeals the sanctions, the process may drag on, potentially allowing the players to feature in the upcoming home and away fixtures.<\/p>\n
Real Madrid may delay bans with appeal<\/p>\n
Speaking about the possible punishment, Hackett told *Football Insider*:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe gestures made by Real Madrid players while celebrating were unacceptable, and UEFA has a track record of issuing strong sanctions when such incidents\u2014though rare\u2014occur. A player making a throat-slitting gesture is not acceptable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect a punishment, which could rule them out of the Arsenal match. However, one factor that might affect the timing of any ban is whether Real Madrid lodges an appeal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arsenal are still chasing their first-ever Champions League title, having last reached the final in 2005\/06, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona.<\/p>\n
With Arteta under pressure to deliver silverware and win over critics, triumphing in Europe\u2019s biggest club competition would significantly strengthen his position.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Real Madrid players are expected to face suspensions but may avoid them through the appeal process before their Champions League clash with Arsenal, according to Keith Hackett.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":47753,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"yoast_head":"\n