A footballer in Ecuador has been dismissed by his club after footage emerged showing him throwing a rock at a linesman during a match, leaving the official with a fractured cheekbone. The incident occurred during an Ascenso Nacional clash between Ciudad de Yantzaza and Rio Aguarico in the third tier of Ecuadorian football on Saturday.
Rio Aguarico won the match 1-0 away from home, but the shocking act of violence has overshadowed the result, with pictures of the incident going viral across the globe in the intervening days. The minute-long clip shows the substitute, wearing Ciudad de Yantzaza's distinctive yellow strip, missing with his first attempt to hit assistant referee Lenin Ojeda with a missile at Zamora Chinchipe's Juan Galarza Marquez Municipal Stadium.
Player picks up second stone
As the player makes his way over to the dugout, he can clearly be seen picking up a second stone from the floor before hurling it in the linesman's direction with some force. A huddle of Rio Aguarico players are seemingly oblivious in the foreground as Ojeda clutches his face in agony before immediately dropping to his knees.
After being helped to his feet, the visibly dazed and disorientated official was soon shepherded into a pitch-side ambulance, where he received treatment for his facial injury. According to Ecuadorian publication Primicias, Ojeda – sporting a bloody nose and swollen cheek – was 'urgently' transferred to a medical centre for further checks.
Refereeing authorities file complaint
Given the seriousness of the incident, the refereeing authorities in Ecuador wasted little time in filing an official complaint against the disgraced player involved. 'The player will be prosecuted criminally because we cannot let this go unpunished,' Luis Muentes, president of the Ecuadorian Referees Association, said. 'We hope the player will be sanctioned and we hope that football will never be played in that stadium again.'
Soon after, a lengthy statement on Ciudad de Yantzaza's social media pages confirmed that the perpetrator had been identified and 'immediately removed from the club'. The statement read: 'Club Deportivo Ciudad de Yantzaza expresses its sincere apologies to our fans, the general public and the refereeing team for the unfortunate incident that occurred during the match played this weekend.'
Club condemns aggression
'As an institution, we categorically condemn all acts of aggression, whether verbal or physical, both inside and outside sporting venues. We firmly believe that football should be a space for respect, coexistence, and fair play. Once the person responsible for this regrettable incident was identified, the institution decided to immediately remove them from the club, as their actions do not reflect the values of our organisation. We reaffirm our commitment to the values, discipline, and respect that must prevail in sport.'
The statement went on: 'Furthermore, the club's management provided the necessary assistance to the referee to ensure that he received appropriate care, expressing our solidarity and wishing him a speedy recovery. We deeply regret what happened and extend our apologies to everyone involved. As a club, CDCCY, we will continue working to ensure that football serves as a source of unity, pride, and respect for our city.'
Ojeda has received countless messages of love and support from around the footballing world but is yet to make any comment in response to the incident.
