Monday, March, 16 2026 - Getafe star, Abdel Abqar was sent off for allegedly 'pinching an opponent's genitals' during their weekend clash against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano in Madrid.
With Atletico leading 1-0 through Nahuel Molina's first-half
strike, referee Miguel Ortiz Arias halted play and signalled a VAR check for
something that had happened off the ball.
Replays then showed Abqar clashing with Atletico striker
Alexander Sorloth. In the clip, the Moroccan defender appeared to pinch
Sorloth’s groin with his thumb and index finger as he walked past him.
In retaliation, Sorloth immediately pulled Abqar to the
floor.
After a lengthy review of the VAR monitor, Arias made the
decision to show a red card to Abqar, while Sorloth received a yellow card.
However, Abqar was left shocked by the decision and
attempted to plead his innocence after the game.
'I want to make it clear that it wasn't my intention to
touch the player in that area,' he told Movistar LaLiga.
'In football, we touch each other, we collide, but I didn't
intend to touch him there. The video clearly shows that I wasn't looking to
touch him there.
'I swear I didn't intend to touch him; I wanted to make
contact, as happens in football. What the referee saw was that I wanted to
touch him there, but it wasn't my intention. I swear on my family that I didn't
want to touch him there.'
Abqar continued: 'They stop him there, but if you watch the
video, I don't look at him, and my hand is meant to touch his stomach, like
sometimes I touch an opponent to find out where he is. I want to make it clear
that I didn't mean to touch him there.'
Watch the video below..
Moment footballer is sent off after pinching opponent's ‘privates' pic.twitter.com/0rgQERsNmB
— DAILY POST 🇳🇬 (@dailypost_ng) March 16, 2026
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