SIMEONE SLAPPED WITH EIGHT-GAME BAN

The Atletico Madrid boss has been hit with a hefty punishment after an altercation with the fourth official on the touchline of the Supercopa de Espana.

Atletico  Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has been hit with a total ban of eight matches following his conduct during the Supercopa de Espana clash with Real Madrid.

meanwhile Simeone was sent from the dugout in the first half of the second leg at the Vicente Calderon on Friday after arguing with the officials on the touchline. He then patted the fourth official on the head and sarcastically applauded the referee before heading to the stands.

The Argentine said earlier that he was willing to "pay the price" for his indiscretion, and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has now deemed fit to punish him for four separate acts of misconduct, totalling an eight-match ban from the touchline.

In an official statement, the RFEF confirmed that Simeone has received a two-game ban for excessive protests over a decision, a four-game ban for striking the fourth official and two additional one-game suspensions for applauding the referee before continuing to remonstrate from the stands.

Simeone has also been hit with a fine totalling €4,805 for the incidents, while Atletico have also been issued a financial punishment.

The 44-year-old has a total of 10 days in which to appeal against the sanction, which the RFEF have determined must be served during La Liga matches, meaning he will miss the trip to Real Madrid on September 13.