SEVILLA FC OFFICIAL STATEMENT

The club has always been and will always be absolutely respectful of referees, knowing how complicated it is to perform the role of a referee, but from the club's perspective, we cannot agree with many of the decisions regarding the cards issued to our players, which in the long run has seriously harmed us in the league. 

The figures speak for themselves: 

Sevilla FC, having played one extra game, is fourteenth in terms of total fouls committed with 329. However, it is however the team with the most red cards this season, along with Elche (11), and the second-highest number of yellow cards with 91, only behind Mallorca on 98. This is despite the fact that Mallorca have committed the most fouls (449), 120 more than Sevilla FC having played one game less. As for the total number of cards (red and yellow), it is the team that has received the highest number in the league with 102, ahead of Mallorca on 101 and Getafe on 84 (who have committed the third-highest number of fouls with 411) - 82 more than Sevilla FC having played one game less. These numbers show that Sevilla FC have the highest percentage of cards as a proportion of fouls in the league. 

On average, one in three fouls committed by Sevilla FC results in a card. Focusing on the match against RC Celta, Sevilla FC committed 11 fouls in the match and received four yellow cards and two reds, while Celta received two yellows for nine fouls committed. Sevilla FC are clearly not an aggressive team which is why these statistics are alarming. It is clear that many of these cards may have been for protesting, something that all players from all teams do, which shows that there is a lack of consistency in relation to protests or, to put it plainly, an outrageous leniency with some and a heavy handiness with others.

The average figures for the Spanish league should lead to an urgent wake-up call: La Liga is by far the league where referees show the most cards. The comparison with the Premier League, where a physical and much more contact-based style is played, speaks for itself: in the Premier League, with more matchdays played, 29 red cards have been shown to date; in La Liga, 108. More than triple. This is a striking difference. From Sevilla FC, we demand that these figures be analyzed and that measures be taken when the decisions go against the spirit of the game. 

It is not about making excuses for the season the team is having. If Sevilla FC is where it is, it is based on sporting performance throughout the 28 league matches played, but it is about demanding equal treatment for all La Liga clubs and fairness when making decisions, something that unfortunately is not observed anywhere today.