Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale faces a possible 12-game ban for the gesture he made after scoring his side's third goal in their 3-1 win away to Atletico Madrid last Saturday.

The goal marked his 100th goal for Real.

Bale, who came on as a substitute made a gesture of placing one hand over the middle of his other arm and folding it at the elbow: a well-known gesture referred to in Spain as a "butifarra".

LaLiga on Thursday confirmed they would seek punishment for what the organizing body of the Liga Santander referred to as a "provocative gesture," and the incident has been referred to the Competition Committee at the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

LaLiga say that Bale "lifted his right arm near his head in a clear sign of provocation towards the fans, then giving a gesture which could be seen as obscene and disdainful by folding his arm and striking it with his other hand."

The punishment Bale receives depends on how the Committee view the action and its consequences with statutes saying that if what he did provoked a "hostile reaction" from supporters in the Wander Metropolitano Stadium, the Welshman could face a ban of between 4-12 games.

If, however, Bale's gesture is not considered to have provoked a reaction for supporters, he faces a suspension of between 1-3 matches. 

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