A second-division soccer game in Spain ended in a mass brawl after Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada punched Huesca defender Jorge Pulido in the face on Sunday, April 26.
Huesca goalkeeper Dani Jiménez was later shown a red card for punching Andrada during the melee.
The match was in its final minutes when Andrada shoved Pulido to the ground when he approached the Argentine goalkeeper. After the referee showed Andrada a second yellow card for the shove, the goalkeeper ran after Pulido and hit him in the face with a powerful right-hand punch, sparking a brawl between players and staff members from both teams.
‘I’m 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.
‘Throughout my career, I’ve only had one red card, and that was for a handball outside the area. It was a critical situation where I lost my focus and reacted that way.
‘I’m very sorry, and I won’t do it again because I know that I’m a public figure, a professional with many years in my career, and I also want to apologize to Jorge Pulido because we’re colleagues.
‘Honestly, it was my own fault; I lost my focus at that moment, and well, I’m here for whatever consequences the league may give me, or if they want me to come and give explanations, I’m available for that.’
Real Zaragoza later issued a statement saying it would analyze Andrada’s actions and take appropriate disciplinary measures.
The club said it condemned the behavior and described the scenes as unbecoming to the sport, saying it didn’t represent the values of Real Zaragoza or its fans.
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