Real Madrid loses suit against TV station that depicted player as Hannibal Lecter

Soccer is serious business in Spain, so beware if you try to joke about it. One television station almost had to learn this the hard way when Real Madrid sued the station for $6 million after it superimposed a Hannibal Lecter mask on one of its players during a joke-laden clip about rough play.

The clip originally aired in 2013 on TV3, a station located in rival Barcelona territory in Catalonia, and showed several Real Madrid players fouling Barcelona star Lionel Messi. Using descriptions about a pack of hyenas hunting prey, the video peppers footage from a nature documentary into the package that shows the likes of Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso and Mesut Ozil chopping down the diminutive Argentine.

According to the Telegraph, however, it was the video package's depiction of star Pepe as the famous cinematic serial killer that got Real Madrid to call its lawyers.

Real Madrid sued the station for slander in 2013, asking for $6 million in compensation. The lower court rejected that sum, but ultimately awarded Real Madrid roughly $20,000 for the material deemed demeaning and humiliating, according to Spain's AS.com.

Upon appeal, however, that ruling was reversed. Spain's Supreme Court ruled the satirical clip played up the 'sarcastic and humorous rivalry between the two teams,” as well as touched upon 'the controversy over the aggressiveness of soccer players.”

Real Madrid, which currently leads the La Liga standings with 43 points, two points ahead of third-place Barcelona, has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.

TV3 also has not publicly commented on the appeal.