MADRID (AP) 鈥� Getafe defender Abdel Abqar was sent off for pinching the genitals of an opposing player during his team鈥檚 1-0 loss at Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Abqar received a direct red card in the 55th minute after the referee reviewed video of the moment that his hand reached toward the groin area of Atletico鈥檚 Alexander Sorloth. Sorloth responded by grabbing the Moroccan player by the arm and slinging him to the ground.
Referee Miguel Ortiz wrote in his report that Abqar was sent off for having 鈥減inched the genital area of an adversary.” Sorloth received a yellow card for his retaliation.
Abqar said after the game that he never intended to touch Sorloth鈥檚 genitals.
鈥淚 want to make clear that it was not my intention to touch the player in that area,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n the video you can see I wasn鈥檛 looking at him when I touched him. I swear that I didn鈥檛 mean to touch him there. I just wanted to give him a pat, like we do in soccer.鈥�
Atletico led from the eighth minute thanks to a goal from wing back Nahuel Molina. Diego Simeone鈥檚 team held on for the win that kept it in third place in La Liga.
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