Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is facing a ban that could see him miss up to 12 matches after being sent off in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup against Athletic Club Monday for hurling vile insults toward a linesman. Barca was leading 1-0 before the center back was sent off for his outburst, which saw him screaming in the face of the assistant referee.

BBC Sport's Andy West put Pique's explicit language into far more tactful terminology, tweeting "So Pique was supposedly sent off because he told linesman that he defecates on his mother, who is a lady of the night. Words to that effect."

When it comes to the pending suspension for Pique, Goal's Mike Chambers points to Article 94 of La Liga's code of ethics - "using insults, verbal abuse or having an insulting attitude" - could see the Spanish international pick up a minimum of a four-game ban, and a maximum of 12.

As noted by The Mirror, La Liga and the LFP consider insults toward officials a serious offense. A first time offender could hope to see a ban of just four matches.

Barcelona has since announced that they were appealing the red card handed down on Pique. "FC Barcelona have presented arguments against the red card shown to Gerard Pique in the 58th minute of the game against Athletic Club in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup," the team said in a released statement.

"The argument put forward is that the player did not address the referee's assistant in the terms included by referee Velasco Carballo in his subsequent report."

With the team down one man, Barca then conceded a goal later in the match to lose 5-1 on aggregate.

"I apologize for the attitude I used to protest with the linesman, it was not correct," Pique wrote on Twitter as translated by Chambers.