Soccer players are renowned for stretching the rules to breaking point to gain an advantage, and now it seems the ball boys are getting in on the act.
Zaragoza’s 1-0 win over Almeria on Monday was marred by the latest example of what seems to be a growing trend in the Spanish league that has seen extra balls being thrown onto the field in order to stop play.
On two occasions, extra balls bounced onto the pitch with the hosts clinging to a 1-0 lead in the game’s final minutes.
This was the second game in a row at La Romareda stadium that has been disrupted in this manner. Two weeks ago — amid a flurry of balls tossed onto the pitch — a ball flew out of the Zaragoza dugout as the financially troubled and relegation-battling club held on for a 2-1 victory over Getafe.
The same time-wasting tactics were employed during Sevilla’s 3-2 win over Villarreal on Sunday.
A video replay clearly shows a ballboy throwing another ball onto the pitch at Sanchez Pizjuan stadium as Villarreal pushed upfield late in the contest, and another ball was launched onto the field from the tunnel above Villarreal’s goal.
Zaragoza and Osasuna were fined a paltry 602 euros (US$877) in both earlier cases.
Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez even nudged over a ballboy after he hesitated in handing the ball over to the ’keeper, who decided to fetch it from behind the advertising boarding himself.
“It’s something you shouldn’t expect to see at the stadium. In those moments when you’re losing and they do these types of things you feel ready to do something stupid but you have to control yourself,” Lopez said afterward. “What can you do? It’s shameful. It’s a question of sportsmanship.”
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