Correa: The Sending-Off in the Derby and Fear of a Harsh Sanction
Ángel Correa’s sending-off in the derby against Getafe has caused great concern at Atlético de Madrid. After the straight red card, the Argentine player addressed the referee with words that could carry a severe sanction, adding to the suspension match for the sending-off.
The club fears that the Disciplinary Committee will consider the insults as an insult, which could lead to a sanction of between four and twelve matches, according to article 99 of the Disciplinary Code.
The precedent of Diego Costa in 2019, sanctioned with eight matches for insulting the referee, looms over the situation. On that occasion, the club failed to reduce the punishment, despite the player’s allegations.
Although Atlético hopes that Correa’s public apologies may mitigate the sanction, repentance is usually more effective when expressed directly to the refereeing team at the time.
There is hope that the Committee will consider Correa’s words as contempt, which would imply a minor sanction of two matches, similar to recent cases of other players who used similar expressions. However, the presence of insults in Correa’s protest complicates this scenario. The Rojiblancos fans eagerly await the Committee’s resolution, hoping that the talented player can soon return to defend the Atleti shirt at the Metropolitano.
