|
VALENCIA, April 20-- Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta will not miss the first leg of the European Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid after UEFA on Wednesday ruled against a proposal to suspend him, the club said in a statement. Iniesta was accused of incurring a yellow card deliberately by UEFA match officials. The midfielder picked up a yellow card during Barcelona's 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at Camp Nou on April 6, meaning he missed the return leg but now has a disciplinary clean slate for the April 27 match against arch-rivals Real. Match officials have proposed to ban him for one more game. But UEFA decided not to impose extra match suspension or even a fine on the midfielder, Barcelona said on their website. "Andres Iniesta will be able to play in the away match of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabeu," Barcelona said in the statement. "UEFA has dismissed a possible sanction against the midfielder after FC Barcelona appealed the European organization's proposal to sanction him for an extra game for the yellow card received during the match against Shakhtar on April 6. "With the decision UEFA also ruled out any kind of financial penalty," the statement said. | 
