Two-match ground ban for Barcelona

Spain's Football Federation (RFEF) has ordered Barcelona's Nou Camp to be closed for two games after crowd violence during last month's league game at home to Real Madrid.

Barcelona, who have the right to appeal, were also fined 4,000 euros by the RFEF, who announced the sanction after a meeting that stretched into the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The RFEF gave no word of when Barcelona would have to serve their ground ban, the club's first since the Nou Camp was inaugurated in 1957.

If the club decide to appeal, they will not have to look for a neutral venue to serve out the ban until next year.

The match against Real was held up for close to 15 minutes after Luis Figo, playing his second game at the Nou Camp following his transfer from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000, was subjected to a hail of missiles from home fans.

Items thrown towards Figo included plastic bottles, some containing liquid, one glass bottle and gold balls. No one was injured by anything thrown from the crowd, the referee noted in his match report. The game finished in a 0-0 draw.

Barcelona president Joan Gaspart, speaking after the match, accused Figo of provoking the fans by slowly clearing away bottles from around the corner flag as he prepared to take his kick.

Gaspart will face a disciplinary investigation into those comments, the federation said.

The announcement of the sanction came after Barcelona's Champions League game against Newcastle United was postponed for 24 hours because of a waterlogged pitch.