The Royal Spanish Football Federation has handed a 13-match suspension to Esteban Andrada, goalkeeper of Real Zaragoza, after he punched a SD Huesca player during a heated derby clash.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the federation’s disciplinary committee confirmed that Andrada, along with his club, would also face fines following the incident involving Huesca defender Jorge Pulido during last Sunday’s second-tier encounter.
The Argentine international received a 12-match ban for the assault, while his earlier red card adds an automatic one-match suspension, effectively ruling him out for the remainder of the season and dealing a significant blow to Zaragoza’s relegation battle.
The 35-year-old, currently on loan from Mexican side Monterrey, had earlier shoved Pulido and was shown a second yellow card before losing his composure. He then ran back to strike the defender in stoppage time, sparking a mass brawl on the pitch.
Reacting after the match, Andrada expressed regret over his actions.
“The truth is I’m very, very sorry for what happened,” he said. “It’s not a good image for the club, for the fans, and especially not for a professional like myself. So, I’m very sorry.”
The altercation also saw Huesca goalkeeper Dani Jimenez and Zaragoza’s Dani Tasende sent off, receiving four-match and two-match bans respectively.
Huesca held on to secure a 1-0 victory despite the late drama.
In its reaction, Zaragoza condemned the incident, stating, “We witnessed scenes unbecoming of this sport and which should never have occurred.”
Elijah Adeyemi
No comments:
Post a Comment