If there’s one phrase that sports journalists freely abuse, it’s “this is a scandal”. However, the lack of originality of the press should not be an obstacle to classifying the sanction Sergio Canale like this: “Scandal”. It is. In Capital Letters. The Betis player, who had not been sent off in nearly more than 400 games, was sacked in October 2022 for protesting a decision by Mateu Lahoz. In February 2023, when asked about that episode, Canales gave his version in a post-match interview. And now Competition, who lives in the worlds of Yupi, in a completely isolated bubble of feeling., has decided to complete the anthology of nonsense by penalizing Canales with four more games. There is little in the way of clothing.
Before the outbreak of the ‘Negreira case’, there were legions of fans who had inside reason to believe that the competition was spreading a stench of sewage. Now, social condemnation and media clamor aside, the staff have arguments to believe that our football’s sporting justice is being applied at two speeds. When it comes to punishing the powerful, sports justice is crippling. When it comes to punishing the less powerful, sports justice is supersonic. For the greats, the donkey. To the lesser, excuse me, by the donkey. Some have an open bar. The rest always pays. The sanction against Canales, unfair, arbitrary and disproportionate in content and form, is shameful. It is good that the arbitration institution is protected so that no one doubts its fairness, but that is one thing and another, quite another, relying on that right to use the rules to viciously persecute some and wash the feet of others with rose water.
If the problem is that the players can’t speak, protest, or even cough up their decisions, go ahead. The problem is that neither arbitration nor sports justice can assume the role of officials of a moral ‘Stasi’ that applies its sanctions and its regulations with double standards. If a striker from a powerful team insults a referee to his face, pass the word. If a defender of a strong team puts the referee in solfa, password. If a coach drops it that an umpire made up a penalty, chitón and hand to the button. The film changes with the color of the shirt. If José Gayà files a complaint, the maximum penalty will be applied. When Renato Tapia passes by, sports wall. And if the one who doesn’t bow his head is Sergio Canales, another one I’ll put in, Aniceto. Do you know which referee will be in the VAR for Atlético-Betis, without Canales? Price. Mateu Lahoz. As predictable as unnecessary. Sensitivity, why? Touch, for what? Keep the party going.
Spanish football, involved in a serious reputation problem, needs to think. Clubs need to complain less and do more. They pay for the party and they have to take steps, clarify responsibilities, regenerate institutions and change disciplinary regulations. It needs a renewed arbitration body, an independent VAR body and a sports field that is not “13 Rue del Percebe”. No one can continue to believe in a league where some are bad and others play by different rules. No one can believe in football where there is an open bar for a few and many others pay all the time. The Canales Thing is the penultimate episode of a cowardly sports court case, which is starting to get very disgusting and cannot be normalized any further. They load football.
Reuben Uria
Source: Goal