Deportivo Cali and Atltico Nacional they tied 1-1 in a match valid for date 4 of the Colombian League in the second half of 2023, but the green classic ended in the worst way and leaving a very negative image. All because of the assault on linesman Richard Ortiz for something that came from the stands where the caleo team’s barra brava was.
A object thrown from the stands, which hit the head of assistant number 1, left him affected and supporting his hands on the grass. However, the doctors of the local team attended him and decided to continue the match, despite the fact that the event occurred before executing a penalty that tied the visit.
Cali and Nacional tied in a match with arbitration controversy
The central judge of the match was Jhon Alexander Ospina and had many problems to administer justice in the party that aroused the most interest in the day. While the game was 0-0, Cali attacked and was close to scoring, something he achieved after 15 minutes through Luis ‘el Chino’ Sandoval.
Nacional began to respond to seek an equalizer and clashes and dubious plays began to be seen, such as an alleged penalty play in favor of the paisas, which the center-back ordered because he had seen an alleged offense by Luis Haqun on Maximiliano Cantera. But the intervention of the VAR made the center-back reconsider and I accepted his mistake, but it opened the door for the disagreement of the players and the public.
The second half began with high spirits and in a clear play, by stepping from behind in a sensitive area, Fabry Castro was expelled at 47 game in the local team. Although it was a good decision by referee Ospina, the Cali players and fans began to show their annoyance at the sum of the referee’s decisions.
And in the midst of Nacional’s charge for seeking a tie against 10 rival players, the action that triggered the scandal came. after a clear Kevin Salazar’s penalty for pulling Jayder Asprilla’s shirt, at minute 68, the same central defender from the match scored the maximum penalty and did not hesitate.
The attack from the stands on the referee’s assistant during Cali vs. National
When the execution of Eric Ramrez was about to take place, the transmission camera managed to capture the moment in which a bottle falls on the head of Richard Ortiz and immediately the game stopped. In the images it can be seen that the referee assistant himself points to someone from the tribune where the Deportivo Cali barra brava was and it was understood as if he had identified the aggressor.
But after a few minutes the affected person got up, the central decided to continue the game and Ramírez’s charge left the final 1-1. The last minutes were very intense, with great desire and little play from both teams and the score did not move.
With the aggression began the controversy in the world of Colombian soccer because the referee did not apply the regulations at the moment the match should have been abandoned and that the disciplinary and arbitration commissions decide. For this reason, Ospina received a lot of criticism and comments in which he was pointed out for continuing a game after one of his assistants was attacked and without the necessary guarantees.
What does the regulation say for public aggression against the referees?
Number 3 of rule 5 of the current world soccer regulations indicates that among the
“Powers and obligations” is acting before a “External interference”. That’s why “stop, temporarily or permanently suspend the game for any type of infraction or external interference” and clearly mentions what happened in the match between Cali and Nacional:
“… a spectator throws an object and it hits a member of the refereeing team, a player or a member of the team’s coaching staff; depending on the seriousness of the incident, the referee may allow the match to continue, or either choose to stop, temporarily suspend or permanently suspend the match”.
In this way it is explained that the judge had the right to continue the game if his assistant could continue, now the sanction, fine and measures will be disciplinary. But the result of the match will be maintained, unlike if it had been suspended and the respective commissions had to decide if the points were awarded to the visitor or there was another measure in this particular case.
