Goalkeeper's Meltdown Costs Zaragoza Dear as 13-Match Ban Follows Derby Disaster
Real Zaragoza's Esteban Andrada has been handed a hefty 13-match suspension after deciding Jorge Pulido's face needed a closer introduction to his fist during Sunday's heated Spanish second division derby.
Well, that's one way to make the headlines. Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada has managed to secure himself a rather extended holiday from football after treating Huesca captain Jorge Pulido to an impromptu boxing lesson during Sunday's Spanish second division derby.
The Argentine shot-stopper's moment of madness came in the dying moments of what was already a forgettable afternoon for Zaragoza, trailing 1-0 in a match that left both sides firmly planted in the relegation mire. Having already collected two yellow cards to earn his marching orders, Andrada apparently decided his evening's work wasn't quite complete.
Rather than trudging off to contemplate his poor decision-making in the tunnel like a sensible professional, Andrada instead opted to introduce his fist to Pulido's face with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. The Spanish Football Federation, clearly unimpressed by this display of the beautiful game's darker arts, have rewarded him with a 13-match ban – 12 for the assault and one automatic for the red card.
The punch sparked the sort of mass brawl that gives football administrators nightmares, with Huesca goalkeeper Dani Jimenez and Zaragoza's Dani Tasende also seeing red as tempers boiled over in what had presumably started as a family-friendly local derby.
For Zaragoza, already struggling in the Spanish second tier's relegation zone, losing their first-choice keeper for over three months represents exactly the sort of self-inflicted wound that struggling clubs can ill afford. The 1-0 defeat to their neighbours has left them staring at the prospect of dropping into Spain's third tier, and they'll now have to navigate those treacherous waters without their errant goalkeeper.
Huesca, despite emerging victorious from the on-field fracas, remain just as deeply embedded in relegation trouble, proving that sometimes even winning a derby isn't enough to lift you out of the doldrums.
One suspects Andrada will have plenty of time to reflect on whether that moment of fury was worth potentially torpedoing his club's season. Thirteen matches is a long time to spend watching from the stands, particularly when your teammates are fighting for their professional lives every weekend.
Still, at least he'll be well-rested when he eventually returns to action – assuming Zaragoza are still playing at the same level, of course.