Barcelona news: Gerard Pique could get three-game ban, La Liga chief Javier Tebas hits out

After scoring the equaliser in the 1-1 draw away to Barcelona’s city rivals, Pique put his finger to his lip as a way to silence the home crowd.

The defender has a long-standing feud with Espanyol supporters and was forced to contend with a cacophony of boos that rained down on him during the match.

After running over towards the home fans, Pique appeared to incite the supporters with his celebration.

While he could be handed a three-match suspension as a punishment, La Liga chief Javier Tebas condemned the incident.

“Pique cannot be making those sorts of gestures," Tebas said.

“We have seen the consequences of them and he is aware of this too, and before the goal we did not hear insults towards the player.

“To score a goal should be a fantastic moment but his provocation meant people then reacted, and sometimes it is the player's responsibility to avoid these insults.

“We do not like to hear players being abused of course but fans should not be provoked, and if his actions are punishable or not, that will be decided by a committee. 

“It is not me who makes these sorts of rulings.”

Should Pique be banned, he could miss La Liga games against Getafe, Eibar and Girona.