"Crafty" Beckham engineered defender's red card
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-10-08 09:01

MADRID, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Real Mallorca defender Sergio Ballesteros has said that he was trapped into getting sent off by David Beckham during his side's 4-0 league defeat against Real Madrid last Sunday.

Ballesteros received a second yellow card when he slapped the England captain on the face during an argument over a foul in the latter stages of the league match at the Bernabeu.

But television pictures showed that Beckham, who fell to the ground after he had been struck, had run up to Ballesteros and stood on his foot before the defender had lashed out at him.

"I fell into Beckham's trap," Ballesteros was quoted as saying by daily Sport on Friday. "He was craftier than me because his stamp on my foot was not noticed, but my slap was seen by everyone."

Ballesteros had his first yellow card withdrawn on appeal by the Spanish Football Federation's Appeals Committee so will be able to play in his side's next league match at home to Racing Santander.

The defender also struck Barcelona defender Carles Puyol after he was sent off against the Catalans earlier in the season.