Getafe’s Abqar received a red card for inappropriately grabbing Sorloth’s genitals
Getafe’s Abdel Abqar received a red card after a VAR review for grabbing the genitals of Atletico Madrid striker Alexander Sorloth during Saturday’s LaLiga match at the Metropolitano stadium, in an incident that shocked both players and fans.
Referee Miguel Angel Ortiz signaled a potential sending-off offense in the 55th minute, causing the game to pause for several minutes.
The stoppage initially puzzled those within the stadium, as it came after a standard challenge between Nahuel Molina and Mauro Arambarri, with no indication in that exchange that a red card was on the horizon.
Understanding came only when Ortiz referred to the pitchside monitor, and the replays displayed on the stadium’s large screens uncovered an off-the-ball incident involving Sorloth and Abqar. The video captured the Moroccan defender making contact with the Norwegian forward’s groin.
Sorloth responded with fury, seizing Abqar’s arm and yanking him down to the ground.
Upon examining the images, the referee issued a straight red card to Abqar for unsportsmanlike conduct, while Sorloth received a yellow card for his response.
The extended delay introduced an unexpected subplot to a match ultimately decided by Molina’s first-half goal, which clinched a 1-0 victory for Diego Simeone’s team.
Atletico currently holds the third position in the LaLiga table with 57 points, trailing second-placed Real Madrid by six points and leaders Barcelona by 10 points. Each competitor possesses an additional game to play.
