Referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez (right) shows a red card to Barcelona's head coach Xavi Hernandez (center) during the La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, March 17, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

MADRID - FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez will have to watch his side's next two La Liga matches from the stands after being given a two-game touchline ban for the red card he was shown in the first half of Sunday's 3-0 win away to Atletico Madrid.

The suspension means Xavi will miss Barca's home game against Las Palmas on March 30th and the visit to Cadiz on April 13th, but he will be able to return the following week when they visit Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

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Xavi was shown a yellow card and then a direct red card last Sunday for "making observations of a technical character in one of my decisions, while shouting and making disrespectful gestures," according to the post-match report of referee Sanchez Martinez.

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The coach was also fined 700 euros and FC Barcelona 600 euros for his actions.

The ban means that Xavi's brother and assistant, Oscar Hernandez will direct the team from the touchline against Las Palmas and Cadiz as he has done on other occasions when Xavi has been banned.

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So far, Oscar Hernandez's record is six games, six wins, with 17 goals scored and just three conceded.