Getafe star, Abdel Abqar was sent off for allegedly ‘pinching an opponent’s genitals’ during their weekend clash against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano in Madrid.
With Atletico leading 1-0 through Nahuel Molina’s first-half strike, referee Miguel Ortiz Arias halted play and signalled a VAR check for something that had happened off the ball.
Replays then showed Abqar clashing with Atletico striker Alexander Sorloth. In the clip, the Moroccan defender appeared to pinch Sorloth’s groin with his thumb and index finger as he walked past him.
In retaliation, Sorloth immediately pulled Abqar to the floor.
After a lengthy review of the VAR monitor, Arias made the decision to show a red card to Abqar, while Sorloth received a yellow card.
However, Abqar was left shocked by the decision and attempted to plead his innocence after the game.
‘I want to make it clear that it wasn’t my intention to touch the player in that area,’ he told Movistar LaLiga.
‘In football, we touch each other, we collide, but I didn’t intend to touch him there. The video clearly shows that I wasn’t looking to touch him there.
‘I swear I didn’t intend to touch him; I wanted to make contact, as happens in football. What the referee saw was that I wanted to touch him there, but it wasn’t my intention. I swear on my family that I didn’t want to touch him there.’
Abqar continued: ‘They stop him there, but if you watch the video, I don’t look at him, and my hand is meant to touch his stomach, like sometimes I touch an opponent to find out where he is. I want to make it clear that I didn’t mean to touch him there.’
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