Levante president Quico Catalan believes that David Navarro's red card against Real Madrid on Sunday evening was "very harsh".

The defender was sent from the field in the second period of Levante's 3-0 defeat for a late challenge on Los Blancos attacker Cristiano Ronaldo.

"My heart wants to say things but my head tells me to shut up," he told reporters.

"In football, sometimes the referee makes a mistake. It was very harsh. He's an important player for us and we play Celta Vigo next, a direct rival. [Coach Joaquin] Caparros is angry because he knows how important the player is.

"In a 2-0 game, with 10 men, it can seem very long but we kept fighting. It's normal that we're angry. Our matches are always like this, a lot of hard work and sacrifice. I'm very proud. It was 3-0 and they didn't give up."

Levante's defeat at their Bernabeu was their first in the league since January.