There was absolute bedlam at the La Romareda on Sunday evening as Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada completely lost his composure in a manner t...
There was absolute bedlam at the La Romareda on Sunday evening as Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada completely lost his composure in a manner that has left Spanish football stunned. According to exclusive reports gathered by GoalZaza, the Argentine shot stopper was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Huesca captain Jorge Pulido. However, instead of making his way quietly to the dressing room, Andrada turned back and delivered a barefisted punch to the face of the Huesca stalwart, sparking a fracas that saw players from both sides clash on the pitch. The incident occurred deep into stoppage time of this heated Spanish second division fixture. Andrada, having already been dismissed by the referee for his initial tackle, appeared to lose every shred of discipline when Pulido approached him. The powers that be in the Spanish Football Federation will now have a mountain of video evidence to review, and a lengthy suspension is surely on the cards for the former Boca Juniors man. At the end of the day, this was not just a moment of madness, it was a complete loss of control that has no place in the beautiful game. The Huesca captain, for his part, showed great restraint in the scheme of things, allowing his teammates to pull him away from the fracas. In the Nigerian viewing centres that dot the landscape from Surulere to Festac Town, patrons would have been shaking their heads in disbelief. Many a fan, remembering the red cards dished out to Super Eagles defenders in European competitions, would have drawn a sharp comparison between this South American hothead and the disciplined aggression of a William Troost Ekong. The general consensus around the big screens in Ikeja would be that Andrada deserves the lion's share of the blame, and that no amount of provocation justifies such a violent response. In a league where the Nigerian international duo of Umar Sadiq and Samuel Chukwueze once plied their trade with great honour, this kind of disgraceful conduct only tarnishes the reputation of the Spanish second tier.
