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The former Los Blancos attacker says it is unnecessary for the Spanish side to continually change coach whenever they fail to win titles
Julio Baptista believes Real Madrid's lack of stability is preventing them from gaining consistent success.
The Spanish side have gone through nine coaches in the last 10 years, during which time they have won just three Liga titles and a Champions League crown.
And former Madrid player Baptista feels that the constant upheavel of the coaching staff is severely affecting the capital club, insisting that a lot of their changes are unneccessary.
"At Madrid if in a year you gain nothing, you don't have to change the coach," Baptista told AS.
"In 2015 under Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid won nothing, but the year before that they won the Champions League.
"Sometimes you have to put things in perspective to see if it is worth making a change."
In his two full seasons at the club, Baptista played under three coaches and he feels that such a lack of consistency affects the Madrid players.
And with Rafael Benitez under pressure as the club sit third in the league and just two points off Barcelona at the top, he maintains they must resist making any hasty decisions.
"Players need stability and changing the coach is no guarantee of success," Baptista said.
"You can hire the best in the world, but there are dynamics and if the players do not understand the coach, it is very difficult to achieve anything in the first year.
"I'm not saying there is a fault, but you have to look at it."
Currently without a club since he left Cruzeiro in the close season, the 34-year-old said he was looking to return to Europe but does not have many options.
"I would prefer to return to Europe, I love Spain," he said.
"But if there are no good choices, I would prefer to play somewhere other than Brazil."
Benitez stays defiant in new-year message to Real Madrid fans
By Peter Hanson
Jan 1, 2016 12:30:34
Carlo Ancelotti's successor has not proved particularly popular with the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu but he moves to reassure fans that the team will fight for them
Under-fire Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez remained defiant in a new-year message in which he vowed to fight for titles to satisfy the demand of the club's supporters.
Benitez replaced Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu during the close-season but his tenure has not proved particularly popular.
Fans have become increasingly frustrated with the team's style of play and have regularly whistled them during matches.
The Real Madrid star incurred the wrath of an officer after taking a wrong turning as he left the Santiago Bernabeu following his side's win over Real Sociedad
Gareth Bale is used to life in the fast lane down Real Madrid's flanks, but he incurred the wrath of a policeman on Wednesday night as he moved at a more pedestrian pace outside the Bernabeu.
The Welshman, who has scored six goals and made three assists in his last five La Liga outings, was pulling out of the stadium in his car after Madrid's 3-1 win over Real Sociedad when he made a wrong turning.
With the roads reopened after the match, Bale was asked to turn right by the road marshal but, in his confusion, ended up taking a left turn.
The policeman was then heard cursing out loud "not that way, f***", in despair, with Bale finally grasping his request and making the right turn.
It's not the first time the 26-year-old has been involved in an incident involving his car. Last season, several supporters attacked his vehicle in anger after Madrid's defeat to Barcelona in March.
Atletico Madrid have completed the signing of midfielder Augusto Fernandez from La Liga counterparts Celta Vigo.
The 29-year-old, who has won nine caps for Argentina, joins up with Diego Simeone's squad on a three-and-a-half-year contract.
Fernandez's impressive form for Celta, who he joined in 2012, has helped the club to lie fifth in the Liga standings this season and persuaded his former River Plate boss Simeone and Atleti to make their move.
Atletico Madrid sporting director Jose Luis Perez Caminero told the club's official website: "He's a player of proven experience in La Liga, who will bring quality and competition to a great midfield such as ours. His signing will help us to face the demands of having to play three competitions.
"At the club we are delighted with his arrival and during his stay in La Liga we have been able to confirm that he has great technical qualities."
Fernandez played 78 minutes of Celta's 1-0 loss at home to Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, but has not been named in Atletico's squad to face Levante on Saturday.
Gary Neville admits knowing Peter Lim is an advantage at Valencia
By Joe Wright
Jan 3, 2016 13:31:54
The 40-year-old benefits from having honest conversations with the Singaporean, and says overcoming the language barrier at the club is the biggest challenge
Valencia coach Gary Neville has confessed that being on personal terms with club owner Peter Lim is an advantage on the eve of his side facing Real Madrid.
The former Manchester United captain was installed at the helm of the Mestalla club last month by the Singaporean, who is also a joint business partner at Salford City.
Lim has constantly reiterated that Neville had been appointed based on merit and not friendship.
And though the latter did not disagree, he did admit that being on talking terms with the owner did come with the advantage of maintaining a dialogue.
"It is uncertain, but it would be if I were given a five-year contract," Neville told Sky Sports regarding his six-month contract to lead the team.
"I'm quite relaxed about it. It's a club that's had 15 managers in 14 years, they've had turmoil after turmoil with managers.
"A six-month contract doesn't mean you're out of a job in six months. The fact that I know the owners, I can have an honest conversation with them is a good thing. That's what made it attractive: it's a big club, but I know the owners.
"Even though it's a risk, I think it'd be a bigger risk not doing it, looking back and thinking did I miss the chance to go and coach in this league."
The 40-year-old has so far endured a difficult spell in charge, failing to win a single La Liga match in charge and slumping to his first league defeat against Villarreal on Thursday that left los Che languishing 11th in the table.
And Neville has come out to acknowledge the language barrier has made dressing-room discussions difficult, as the necessity of a translator means he cannot inspire the reaction he wants from his players.
"The most frustrating thing, without a shadow of a doubt, is having to communicate through a translator," he continued.
"The [pre-match] team talk is well prepared, so it's fine, but half-time is frustrating. You want people to react off you and it can't happen.
"I'm trying to make sure I speak to every player equally and not just more to the ones who speak English."
The Real Madrid forward, whose side face Gary Neville's Valencia on Sunday, does not imagine himself remaining in the game when the time comes to retire
Cristiano Ronaldo says he will live like a king when he retires from football, but he does not envisage himself remaining in the game as a manager.
The Real Madrid star will turn 31 in February and it’s inevitable that over the next few years there will be rumours about his next move.
However, Ronaldo insists he is not thinking about taking on a coaching role when his time in the limelight comes to an end.
"There is another life after football,” he said in an interview with Papel.
“I think at first it will be tough [not playing], but if you ask me now if I want to coach, I would say no. Neither [would I want to be] a club director nor a president.
“You can say you have the best job, money, cars, houses... but that is not everything.
“One example: On Saturday there’s boxing on in Las Vegas and I would like to take my family and friends, but I can’t because I have no time. But after [football] I want to live like a king.”
After a decade spent sparring with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi to be the world’s No.1 player, the spotlight on Ronaldo’s career has led to huge amounts of pressure.
He doesn’t feel the weight of the expectation on his shoulders, though, or the constant speculation about his life.
"I can handle the pressure due to the hard life I’ve had,” he continued.
“Leaving home at 11 and going into a different world, first to Lisbon and then to Manchester, was very difficult and between 11 and 18 I [learned about] stability.
“So I’ve become the person I am today because of the time I spent without my family and going through difficult times.
“I was a teenager, but I had to do things as a man - to the point that I had to do my own ironing. My mental strength began at that time.”
Ronaldo also dismissed the idea that other people’s opinions worried him.
He added: “Everyone can think what they want. I go to bed each day with a clear conscience and I sleep well.
“We cannot be obsessed with what other people think of us - even God didn't please everyone.”
Real Madrid's coach Rafael Benitez looks on from bench before match. Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Spanish Liga BBVA - Santiago Bernabeu stadium, Madrid, Spain - 20/12/15. REUTERS/Sergio Perez
MADRID (Reuters) - Real Madrid have fired manager Rafa Benitez after six months in the job, Spanish sports daily Marca reported on Monday.
The La Liga club's president Florentino Perez dismissed the Spaniard after an emergency board meeting, with their former player Zinedine Zidane poised to take over, the paper said.
Frenchman Zidane has been in charge of the Real 'B' team.
The club declined to comment.
Real are third in the standings, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, after suffering three league defeats this season, including a 4-0 home loss to arch-rivals Barcelona.
Benitez, the former Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Napoli manager, replaced Italian Carlo Ancelotti in June.
Real have been European champions 10 times and are the most valuable club in the world according to Forbes magazine.
(Writing by Ed Osmond in London; Additional reporting by Andres Gonzalez Estebaran in Madrid; Editing by Ken Ferris)
'How can Zidane manage Madrid'? - Former Real stars divided on Benitez sacking
By Hrvoje Tironi
Jan 5, 2016 17:00:00
Robert Prosinecki and Robert Jarni both played at the Santiago Bernabeu during the 1990s but disagree on Florentino Perez's decision to fire Rafa Benitez
GOALEXCLUSIVE
Croatia legend Robert Prosinecki has hailed the decision to appoint Zinedine Zidane as Real Madrid’s new coach, but his countryman Robert Jarni insists it was a mistake to sack Rafa Benitez.
Zidane was promoted on Monday from his previous role as boss of the club's B team, Real Madrid Castilla, after president Florentino Perez pulled the plug on Benitez’s miserable six-month reign.
"Benitez was not accepted by the Madrid fans right from the beginning,” Prosinecki told Goal. “He was not made to feel welcome at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"The 2-2 draw at Valencia [on Sunday] was the last straw as the pressure on him had been growing for weeks. Real had to change something and the coach is always the first to go.
"His replacement is a true legend, someone who was once the best player in the world.
"Zidane will certainly give the crowd a lift. Barcelona are still favourites to win the title but Zidane will try to wake Real up.”
France icon Zidane enjoyed a memorable five years as a player with Madrid between 2001 and 2006, scoring one of the greatest Champions League final goals of all time during their 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden Park in 2002.
He returned to the club after retiring and was made assistant coach to Carlo Ancelotti in 2013 before taking over Real Madrid Castilla a year later.
“Zidane’s methods are understood at the club as he coached the B team,” explained Prosinecki, who enjoyed a glittering career of his own as a midfielder and wore the Madrid shirt for three years in the early 90s.
“He is a true soldier of the club, has had some magnificent achievements and impressed everyone with his play and behaviour.
“Unlike Benitez, ‘Zizou’ will not have any problems with imposing his authority on the players and fans. That will make it easier for him to be accepted.
"Zidane will certainly play offensively as it is in his nature. At Real it is not enough to win, you have to win with style. The fans want attractive football, not just victories.”
However, Prosinecki’s former Croatia team-mate Robert Jarni – with whom he won World Cup bronze in 1998 – disagrees with this assessment of Zidane.
“I am very surprised by Benitez’s sacking,” Jarni told Goal. “Mainly because Florentino Perez only recently expressed his support to Rafa and stressed how he was his choice and that he believed in him.
"I am a little sceptical of Zidane. How will he manage this Real team? He has big experience from his playing days, but he has never coached a senior team.
“It is true that he served as the right-hand man of Ancelotti and he may have learned a lot in this role. But it is one thing being the assistant and something completely different being the head coach and making final decisions - especially at a club as big as Real.
"If I was Perez, I wouldn't have sacked Rafa. But Perez knows Zidane and obviously trusts him. If something will change for the better, it will be the relationship between coach and players."
Former left-back Jarni spent one season as a player at the Santiago Bernabeu in 1998-99, making 27 appearances and winning the Intercontinental Cup.
The Barcelona coach feels for his compatriot following his sacking by Real Madrid, but admits that is the way things work in modern football
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique says he was not surprised by Real Madrid 's decision to sack Rafael Benitez on Monday.
Madrid opted to fire Benitez just seven months after appointing him amid an uninspiring first half of the season - which included a 4-0 Clasico hammering by Barca - and widespread reports of dressing room unrest, with Zinedine Zidane chosen as his replacement.
Luis Enrique feels for Benitez following his departure from the Santiago Bernabeu, but believes that his exit was to be expected due to the way modern football works.
"I was not surprised by Real Madrid's decision to dismiss Benitez," the Barca boss said at a news conference on Tuesday.
"That is the way things go in modern day football. This is nothing new. I do not think it is unfair on coaches. It is a risk that comes with the profession.
"We are all made aware of this when we do our coaching courses. We know this can happen and we all accept it.
"It is a shame for those who get the sack, while it is something positive for the one who gets the job.
"We all go through a situation like this at some point in our career.
"I don't know what to expect from Zidane. I do not know him as a coach."
At least I finished the year - Pellegrini sorry for Benitez
5 January 2016
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini joked about Rafael Benitez's sacking from Real Madrid on Monday, offering a reminder he at least completed a full season at the Spanish giants.
The Chilean spent one term in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2009-10, failing to win La Liga despite accumulating an impressive 96 points.
A trophy-less campaign resulted in his dismissal, while Benitez was removed less than halfway through the season, despite Madrid being just four points back from leaders Atletico Madrid.
Pellegrini made light of the Spaniard's situation but still offered words of support to his colleague.
"At least I finished the year," the Chilean joked. "I'm sorry for Rafa Benitez. He's a manager I respect, but I'm not surprised."
Former Madrid midfielder and Castilla coach Zinedine Zidane has been appointed as Benitez's replacement and Pellegrini warned of the difficulties that come with managing the club.
"It's always difficult to manage a big team. It's more difficult in the way they manage the position of the coach [at Madrid]," he said.
"It's absolutely different here. That's why one team is changing manager every year, but it's not the politics of the owners here to change immediately if you don't win a title."
The 62-year-old's future at the Etihad Stadium has come into question with the club persistently tipped to recruit Pep Guardiola.
That speculation has increased since December, when the former Barcelona boss announced he will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
On Tuesday, Guardiola confirmed a desire to manage in the Premier League is the driving force behind his decision to leave Germany, but Pellegrini would not comment on the situation.
"It's a question I answered about two weeks ago and I'll say no more about that," he added.
The Barcelona striker is facing sanctions over a referee's report which claims he threatened Espanyol players on Wednesday night
Luis Suarez is facing a potential spell on the sidelines due to accusations made by the referee after Barcelona's clash with Espanyol on Wednesday.
The Uruguayan striker is alleged by match official Juan Martinez Munuera to have threatened Espanyol players in the tunnel following their 4-1 Copa del Rey win.
The 28-year-old is reported to have yelled: "I’m waiting for you, come here! You’re a waste of space."
This isn't the first time that Suarez has faced sanctions for letting his temperament get the better of him, although there are claims in the Spanish media that it was not he but Javier Mascherano who committed the offence.
With the referee sticking to his story that Suarez was the guilty party, however, the forward could soon face a Copa del Rey suspension when the punishments are announced on Friday.
Vote in the poll below to have your say on how long Suarez should be banned for.
Ronaldo needs to understand he´s not the coach - former Madrid boss Luxemburgo
6 January 2016
Former Real Madrid boss Vanderlei Luxemburgo has backed Zinedine Zidane to be a success at the Santiago Bernabeu - providing he is not undermined by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Luxemburgo spent an 11-month spell at Madrid in 2005 as part of a nomadic career spent mostly in his native Brazil.
And he is confident former France midfielder Zidane will succeed but believes he needs the backing of influential striker Ronaldo.
Luxemburgo told Omnisport: "Zidane was a leader in the dressing room when he was a player, so Cristiano Ronaldo will have to understand that there will be a person with leadership and with great knowledge of football there.
"The dressing room belongs to the players up to a certain point. From then on it belongs to the coach. If Cristiano Ronaldo thinks he's the coach it's difficult. He has to understand he's a player and not a coach. The coach is Zidane.
"If you can make those things clear it doesn't matter if it's Cristiano Ronaldo or [Lionel] Messi. Barcelona is giving a good example that Messi is just a player. He was a player with [Pep] Guardiola and is still a player with Luis Enrique. He's a star but is still a player. That's his limit."
Luxemburgo also suggested Madrid president Florentino Perez needed to give Zidane full control over dressing room affairs.
"If it was another president things would probably not have gone this wrong," he added. "Luis Enrique was questioned when he left Neymar on the bench. But he left him on the bench to adapt. At Real Madrid, if the coach leaves Ronaldo on the bench, Florentino Perez goes crazy.
"There's a big difference between Real Madrid and Barcelona in that respect. The head coach at Barcelona is in charge. At Madrid, it's not like that with Perez."
Luxemburgo coached Zidane during his brief spell in the Spanish capital and was impressed then with the midfielder's leadership qualities.
"It's not a surprise because Zidane was being prepared to be Real Madrid's head coach," he said. "The surprise is the moment he took charge, that he came now and not later. But he's a high-level professional with a great knowledge of football.
"When he used to be a player and I coached Real, I used to pass him a lot of information and then he transmitted it to the group. He was like a coach on the pitch. So I think he has everything to do a great job. He has leadership, he knows the club and all that helps."
The winner of the 2015 Ballon d'Or will be announced on Monday, with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar vying for the award.
But who are the young players best placed to be in the running for the honour in years to come? Here we break down the likely future contenders for football's most prestigious individual prize.
Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City
The Belgium playmaker enjoyed a stellar 2015. After helping Wolfsburg secure Champions League qualification, De Bruyne joined Premier League side Manchester City in a club-record move and he has already gone some way to justifying his hefty price tag. With five goals and eight assists in the Premier League, De Bruyne is already an integral part of the City side and, if he can help them to the title and inspire his country to Euro 2016 glory, the 24-year-old could be one of those present at next year's ceremony.
Thiago Alcantara - Bayern Munich
While some may have questioned Thiago Alcantara's decision to trade Catalonia for Bavaria in 2013 when he left Barcelona, the diminutive Spain midfielder is gradually establishing himself as a key player for Bayern Munich. Injuries have hampered his club and international aspirations but the 24-year-old already has seven assists this season and, if selected in the Spain squad for Euro 2016, he will have the perfect platform to announce himself on the world stage.
Paul Pogba - Juventus
Arguably the most in-demand player in the world game, Pogba has been pivotal to Juventus' rise back to the top of Italian football. The France midfielder has won three Serie A titles with the Turin giants and reached the Champions League final last season, with Juve only denied a treble-winning campaign by an unstoppable Barcelona team. Combative, dynamic and with an eye for goal, perhaps the most impressive thing about Pogba is that he is only 22 and has plenty of time to get even better. A winner of the 2013 Golden Boy award, a successful Euros with hosts France could cement Pogba's status as one of the world's best.
Antoine Griezmann - Atletico Madrid
Another member of an exciting new generation of French footballers, Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann is a player who continues to make huge strides each season. His debut campaign after leaving Real Sociedad for Atletico was an emphatic success as Griezmann netted 25 goals in all competitions. He already has 13 for an Atletico side that is challenging for the Liga title again this term and, with his electric pace and finishing ability, Griezmann has all the tools to help Atletico and France succeed and catapult himself into contention for the 2016 Ballon d'Or.
Douglas Costa - Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich added to their embarrassment of riches in the close-season by bringing in Brazil winger Douglas Costa from Shakhtar Donetsk and he has slotted in effortlessly at the Allianz Arena. Voted as the Bundesliga's best outfield player by Kicker, Costa has 12 assists to his name in the league - with Bayern once again coasting towards the title - and has a further two in the Champions League. The challenge for Costa, who has scored five goals in all competitions, will be to push Bayern to European success and help Brazil win the Copa America for the first time in nine years at the Copa America Centenario. He will have a strong case to be in the Ballon d'Or running if he can do so.
Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic has confirmed he is in contract talks with the Camp Nou club.
The Croatia international joined Barca from Sevilla in June 2014 and helped his new side to a historic treble in his debut campaign, followed by winning the Club World Cup this season.
Rakitic still has three-and-a-half years left to run on his current deal, but revealed he is already in discussions over fresh terms.
"I have a contract until 2019, but we already started negotiating about renewal," he told 24 sata.
"I know it will be very hard to equal 2015, but I will try to make 2016 at least as good. No one ever defended the Champions League title, there is our motivation.
"My favourite moment of 2015 was scoring a goal in the Champions League final. Last year was great both in my professional and private life. My wife is pregnant, we will have second daughter in four months."
Close-season signing Arda Turan is now involved with Barca after their transfer ban came to an end in January, but Rakitic is unconcerned by the increased midfield competition.
"I am not worried about Turan's arrival," he said.
"During this year and half I have proven what I am capable of and how important I am for Barcelona team, so I am not worried for my place in starting line-up."
Rakitic insisted he is happy with Barcelona's form under Luis Enrique, despite drawing three of their last five matches in La Liga.
He continued: "There is no reason to be afraid for Barcelona, yes we had three draws but we were better than opponent in all those matches.
"We did not have luck and we missed too any chances, but there is no panic."
Zinedine Zidane praised Real Madrid's supporters for creating a positive atmosphere during the 5-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna.
Madrid fans increasingly turned their frustrations on the team and Rafael Benitez towards the end of the Spaniard's unpopular tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Zidane took charge of Real for the first time since replacing Benitez as coach on Saturday and looked on as Gareth Bale starred in a dominant win with a hat-trick.
The former France star was pleased to have the home crowd on his side following a turbulent time for the club.
"I liked the atmosphere very much and I think the supporters were behind the team since the beginning," he said.
"The most important thing for us now is to keep improving and just think this was the first match.
"Let’s see what will happen in the next one, but the idea is to try to play well as well as to win the matches. The supporters were amazing."
'They should move to Syria' - Ronaldo's sister slams statue vandals
Jan 12, 2016 21:08:00
Katia Aveiro hit out at the "pig-headed people" who painted her brother's monument with Lionel Messi's name, and suggested they would feel more comfortable in a warzone
The sister of Cristiano Ronaldo launched an extraordinary attack on the unknown individuals that vandalised a statue of the Real Madrid star in his native Madeira.
Assailants daubed "Messi 10" onto the back of the monument in red paint just one day after Ronaldo finished second to the Argentine in the 2015 Ballon d'Or voting.
And sister Katia Aveito suggested that those responsible would be better suited to life in a warzone in the Middle East.
"You all know I'm this man's sister, and above all how much proud I am to be so, and to know the wonderful and fighting person he is," she said in a statement.
"I could spend hours trying to decypher every kind act and quality that he has.
"I feel shame for the act itself, but I feel even more shameful for the jealousy that exists around him, the hate that some pig-headed, unloved and frustrated people manifested in a low manner, which makes me embarassed and sad as a Portuguese citizen.
"People responsible for this and for other negative things expressed against this man should know that our island was elected the best in the world, not for our beautiful sea nor for our fine cuisine nor for the welcoming nature of the Madeirense people, even though it gets shorter by the time... but partly because of this great Madeirense man who insists in honouring his origins.
"To the world he insists in reminding people on his own free will of the qualities our land has, that help bringing tourists and creating jobs! Most of us should thank and salute to this man, it's thanks to him that a lot of Madeirenses still have their jobs.
"My beautiful island, regrettably, is still inhabited by some frustrated savages who deserve to live in Syria, between people that show no respect and hold no value for life in society.
"I apologize for the ones who live the sadness of war, but I believe some people don't belong on the land they live in."
Aveiro then took her criticism further, including the rest of Portugal, as she added: "This Portuguese man, aside from taking the island to worldwide recognition, also carries a whole country on his back, and that's not me saying, but it's words from the wise, humble men who know about the importance of this human being for our country... a small nation, yes, but beautiful as a whole, which is made known a lot thanks to him.
"Let us all grow our mentalities and remove this label that the Portuguese people are jealous by nature... sadly, I kind of agree with the statement, even though I don't fit among these individuals."
The former Chelsea and Liverpool forward is still waiting for a landmark at the Calderon, and will spend time on the sidelines because of the new knock
Fernando Torres' long wait for his 100th Atletico Madrid goal is set to continue, with the striker facing a spell on the sidelines due to an ankle injury.
Torres damaged his right ankle in training and is expected to miss Atletico's Copa del Rey second leg against Rayo Vallecano on Thursday.
Atletico revealed in a statement that Torres has undergone an MRI scan on the injured ankle, with no schedule yet set for his return to the squad.
"The striker will undergo physical therapy and perform alternative training in the gym, pending the evolution of his injury," the club said.
Torres has scored just two La Liga goals in 16 appearances for Diego Simeone's men this season, the last of which came in a 2-0 win at Eibar in September.
Atletico have a two-point lead at the top of La Liga, although nearest rivals Barcelona have a game in hand.
Luis Suarez's two-game Copa del Rey ban has been upheld by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), after an appeal from Barcelona failed.
The Uruguay striker was sanctioned for his part in a post-match altercation following Barca's 4-1 Copa win over Espanyol last week.
Barca overturned an early strike from Felipe Caicedo in the first leg of the last-16 tie at Camp Nou thanks to a Lionel Messi brace and goals from Gerard Pique and Neymar.
But derby-day tensions threatened to boil over during the second half as Espanyol duo Hernan Perez and Pape Diop were sent off.
In referee Juan Martinez Munuera's report, Suarez was accused of provoking a confrontation between players from both clubs in the tunnel.
Suarez will miss Wednesday's second leg, along with an anticipated quarter-final first leg tie.
The two Spanish giants have been found guilty of the same irregularities as Barcelona and, after the current window closes, will then be unable to sign new players until 2017
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been handed transfer bans for the next two transfer windows for breaching rules regarding players under the age of 18, Fifa have confirmed.
The two clubs will be able to register players during the current January transfer window but will then be unable to make signings for the two subsequent transfer windows due to irregularities over the "international transfers of minors".
Barcelona were handed the same punishment for a similar breach, with their ban lifted this month, and neither of the Madrid-based clubs will be able to make another signing until the summer of 2017.
Real have been linked with a host of elite players, such as David de Gea and Eden Hazard, but will need to act now or wait 18 months in order to sign them.
A statement released by Fifa on Thursday confirmed the sanctions: "The Fifa Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned Spanish clubs Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.
"The two clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players as well as other relevant provisions with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in competitions.
"Both clubs are to serve a transfer ban that prevents them from registering any players at national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods for breaching articles 5, 9, 19 and 19bis as well as annexes 2 and 3 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (the "Regulations").
"The transfer ban, which does not affect the current registration period at all, given that it opened before the decisions were notified, applies to each club as a whole – with the exception of the women’s, futsal and beach soccer teams – and does not prevent the release of players.
"Additionally, Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid have been fined CHF 900,000 and CHF 360,000 respectively, while both clubs have been issued with a reprimand and given 90 days in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned."
The ruling, which is likely to be appealed by both clubs, means Madrid and Atletico face a race against time to strengthen their squads before it is imposed.
Atletico have already snapped up Augusto Fernandez from Celta Vigo in this window while Matias Kranevitter is now available to coach Diego Simeone after a loan spell at River Plate expired.
Madrid are yet to enter the transfer market, with new coach Zinedine Zidane still assessing his squad after succeeding Rafael Benitez last week.
Marcelo hopes for good news on Bale, Benzema injuries
By Joe Wright
Jan 17, 2016 17:56:59
The two forwards were both taken off in the second half of a convincing 5-1 victory, and their Brazilian team-mate has his fingers crossed for good news
Marcelo hopes Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema did not suffer serious injuries in Real Madrid's thrashing of Sporting Gijon.
Bale, who opened the scoring in a 5-1 La Liga win at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, was forced off at half-time after picking up a problem with his right calf muscle, while Benzema appeared to take an accidental kick to the ankle from team-mate James Rodriguez.
Both forwards were able to walk off the pitch and Marcelo hopes their withdrawals were nothing more than precautions on the part of head coach Zinedine Zidane.
"Hopefully Bale and Benzema's injuries are nothing," he was quoted as saying by AS.
Madrid were 5-0 up at half-time after a rampant display, and Marcelo believes the players are already beginning to play the kind of football Zidane craves just two matches into his tenure.
"We're very clear in what we want and what the boss asks of us, which is to play in the opposition's half, get the ball back quickly and go on the attack.
"It's a great result but we've worked a lot and worked well, because Sporting are a difficult team.
"The players feel happy when we win. But it's true we're satisfied. The idea is to get better so we can win another title this season."
Madrid are away to Real Betis in La Liga next Sunday.
