Sergio Ramos reckons he didn’t deserve a red card in El Clasico, when Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2.
The centre-back was given his marching orders after lunging in two-footed on Lionel Messi.
But he said: "The red card was excessive."
"I was not going to harm anyone. In my opinion, that was a yellow card, not a red. I was too late, but there was no contact."
"I never have the intention to hurt anyone."
Ramos was seen applauding as he walked off the pitch following his dismissal.
But he was at pains to point out his applause was aimed at Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique, not a sarcastic gesture towards the referee.
A similar act saw Barcelona star Neymar banned for El Clasico altogether after the Br azilian was sent off against Malaga.
"I did not applaud the referee when I walked off. I was talking to Pique, not to the referee," he added.
"Referees can be right and sometimes they are wrong. This one was decisive. But I was chatting to Pique, not the referee.”