The Disciplinary Committee of the Spanish Football Federation issued a strict decision against Athletic Bilbao following the events that occurred during the team's match against Real Betis in the third round of La Liga.

According to the Spanish newspaper "AS", the Spanish Football Federation decided to suspend coach Ernesto Valverde for four matches and goalkeeper Alex Padilla for three matches.

The punishment came after what was reported in the referee Isidro Díaz de Mera's report, which stated that Valverde was sent off in the 99th minute for excessively protesting the referee's decisions, leaving the technical area, and sarcastically applauding the refereeing crew, in violation of articles 52 and 124 of the disciplinary regulations.

As for Padilla, who was on the bench, he was sent off for throwing a ball onto the pitch to waste time during stoppage time after Betis scored a goal to reduce the deficit, noting that the match ended with Bilbao winning (2-1).

Tensions escalated after the referee added an extra minute, which angered Valverde, who shouted: "No, no, not another minute. Only 30 seconds," making angry gestures and punching the air. According to the report, the coach left the pitch after his dismissal amidst sarcastic applause and directed insulting remarks at the referees before heading to the locker room.

These penalties represent a severe blow to Athletic Bilbao before resuming their domestic and European competitions.