Estaban Andrada faces a historic ban in the Spanish lower leagues | OneFootball

The Argentine goalkeeper lost his cool in the derby against Huesca, and both La Liga and the Aragonese club are assessing the punishment he will face.

A few seconds of fury could completely ruin Esteban Andrada’s present and future in Spanish football. Near the end of the derby against Huesca, Zaragoza’s Argentine goalkeeper was sent off for shoving an opponent and, after a brawl broke out, brutally struck captain Jorge Pulido in the face. An attack that could cost him dearly.

Beyond his statement, in which he appeared deeply remorseful, apologized, and denied having any violent history, the former Boca player could feel the full weight of La Liga. While awaiting the official ruling, the Spanish press is already considering anywhere from four to twelve matches of suspension, plus one additional game for the double yellow he received in the initial shove.

However, for Eduardo Iturralde González, refereeing analyst for AS and Carrusel Deportivo, that would be an insufficient punishment for a punch that left a player shaken, went viral around the world, and sparked massive condemnation. “In this type of action, the Disciplinary Committee has to go to the maximum for the good of the competition”, the former referee said.

If we look closely at the Spanish football regulations, Article 103 lists the following scenarios under the section on assaults:

“Assault 1: assaulting another person without causing injury, with the intentional nature of the act—necessary for this offense—being weighed as a determining factor, particularly when the action takes place while play is stopped or at such a distance from where play is taking place that it is impossible to intervene in it, shall be punished with a suspension of four to 12 matches.

Assault 2: shall be punished with a suspension of 6 to 15 matches when an injury is caused that results in the player being sidelined, provided it does not constitute a more serious offense.”

Among the harshest sanctions in the history of the domestic championship, in addition to the historic one handed to Joaquín Cortizo (24 matches) and the severe punishments for Hristo Stoichkov and José María Ceballos (12 each), another Argentine also appears on the list: Germán “Mono” Burgos, who received an 11-match suspension.

Whether the authorities impose a severe or exemplary punishment, the truth is that Andrada is unlikely to play again for the rest of the season. Zaragoza have only five matches left and will urgently have to turn to backup goalkeeper Adrián Rodríguez.

The club even released a statement condemning Sabandija’s violent conduct and reporting that “they will analyze the events that occurred and take the appropriate disciplinary measures”.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.