Goalkeeper who punched opponent in face in blind rage handed massive 13-game ban

Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada has been banned for 13 games after he punched an opposition player in the face.

Andrada was at the centre of controversy in a clash with Huesca on Sunday, when he responded to being sent off by charging at an opponent and punching him in the face.

The Argentine sprinted past the referee towards Huesca defender Jorge Pulido and threw a brutal right hook at his rival, which dropped Pulido to the turf.

The keeper was quickly grabbed by a Huesca player as he was dragged away from the incident.

It had followed a shove on Pulido by Andrada, which had seen him receive a second yellow card, and subsequently a red, in the first place.

Andrada was not the only player to be dismissed, though, with his teammate Dani Tasende also shown a red card four minutes later.

It came alongside Huesca’s Dani Jimenez being sent off by the referee following a VAR review, who threw punches back at the Zaragoza goalkeeper in retaliation.

Following the mass confrontation which began with Andrada’s wild moment, Pulido could be seen with bruising next to his left eye.

The incident marred the closing stages of the Aragonese derby, which saw Huesca hold on to win 1-0.

Hefty ban

The Spanish football federation (RFEF) have now moved to punish Andrada for his actions, handing him a hefty 13-game ban.

He received a 12-match suspension for the punch, while his initial red card also saw him automatically banned for Zaragoza’s next fixture.

This means that Andrada will now miss the rest of the season, in a huge blow to his side’s bid to avoid relegation.

Zaragoza sit second from bottom in Spain’s second division – three points off safety, with the bottom four clubs dropping into the third tier.

Andrada joined Zaragoza on a season-long loan from Mexican side Monterrey, and as things stand, he will not play for the club again.

Andrada’s apology

Speaking after the match to the club’s social media channel, the goalkeeper said sorry for the incident and would accept whatever punishment is forthcoming.

“The truth is I’m very, 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 penalty area.

“I also want to apologise to Jorge Pulido because we are colleagues, and honestly, it was my fault, I lost focus at that moment, and well, I am here for whatever consequences the league may give me.”

Zaragoza head coach David Navarro also apologised, adding: “There are lines we can’t cross.”

Huesca manager Jose Luis said after the game: “It’s hard to explain. I think it’s a complete loss of control.

“I can put myself in their shoes, given what was at stake and all. But it’s unjustifiable.

“It’s ugly. This was supposed to be a celebration of Aragonese football. I’d like people to talk about the match, even though it was ugly, with little play but a lot of hard work.”

Zaragoza host Granada on Friday, May 1, with kick-off at 8pm BST.

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The home side are aiming to avoid relegation to the third tier for the first time in 77 years.

However, it has been 13 years since the club last played in LaLiga, having been relegated from the top flight in 2013.