Picture Credit: X
In a football match played between Real Alianza Cataquera and Deportivo Quique in Colombia, a shocking incident took place when a player named Javier Bolivar slapped referee Vanessa Ceballos. In a video going viral on social media, Bolivar can be seen sitting on the sidelines as a substitute but when the referee shows the red card, he gets up, walks toward Vanessa and slaps her. The act rankled Ceballos and she chased impudent Javier to counter him. However, other players broke into the scene to calm her and defuse the situation.
As per a report from The Sun, the incident took place in the 66th minute of the contest. Following the game, Javier dropped a post through his Instagram handle and wrote that his intention was not to hurt the referee physically but to snatch her whistle. “I recognise that my behaviour was disrespectful and inappropriate, unbecoming of an athlete and a human being. By foolishly trying to take the whistle out of the referee's mouth, I acted incorrectly, sending a negative message that should never have happened.I want to make it absolutely clear that at no time was there any physical aggression toward the referee,” wrote Bolivar.
Javier Bolivar apologises for his conduct after incident goes viral
Javier also apologised to Ceballos and women who got hurt by his deed. “I understand that my gesture was offensive and portrayed her as contrary to the values of football and respect. Therefore, I humbly apologise to her, her family, the women, and everyone who was affected by what happened. I firmly reject any form of violence, especially against women. Women deserve all our respect, care, and admiration,” added Bolivar.
There have been several incidents when referees have been attacked by players but a male player assaulting a female referee is something unprecedented and extremely deplorable. Roxana Arrieta, President of the Magdalena Football League, also condemned Bolivar's act.
