One more episode in the catastrophic season of Real Zaragoza, in the Spanish second division. Stuck in the red zone, the former club of Pablo Aimar or Diego Milito was beaten in the Aragon derby against Huesca (1-0). A meeting which ended in chaos with a general brawl caused by the expulsion of Esteban Andrada, the Zaragoza goalkeeper, in stoppage time.
Heated by Huesca captain Jorge Pulido, the Argentinian pushed his opponent and received a second warning, synonymous with expulsion. Once the red card was shown by referee Arcediano Monescillo, Andrada completely lost his temper and rushed towards Pulido, who had gotten up, to punch him in the head.
“A line not to be crossed as a human being”
Loaned by the Mexican club Monterrey, Andrada is not expected to play again with Zaragoza, since he risks between ten and twelve games of suspension, according to the Spanish media. The club announced in a press release that it “will take appropriate disciplinary sanctions” and condemns actions which “in no way reflect the values of Real Zaragoza or its supporters, who, throughout its history, have distinguished themselves by their sportsmanship, their courage and their respect for the opponent”.
“No matter what happened during the match, there are lines that should not be crossed, and we crossed them,” commented David Navarro, Real Zaragoza coach at a press conference. Not even as professionals, but as human beings. The best thing to do is to apologize. »
In the evening, Esteban Andrada also spoke to apologize, in a video broadcast by the club. “I’m really sorry about what happened. This gives a bad image of the club, the supporters and a professional like me. In my entire career, I have only been sent off once, and that was for a hand. It was a critical situation; I lost control and reacted like this. I would like to apologize to Jorge Pulido because he is a colleague. »
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