Credit: Twitter
A player was sent off on Tuesday by the referee in Argentina's fifth-division league game for urinating on the pitch. The player in question, Leonel Ovejero, plays for club Argentino de Merlo and found himself as the protagonist of this bizarre story. While the match ended in a goalless draw, and not many even in Argentina follow the second division closely, the unusual incident went viral both in the country and abroad in a matter of hours.
It was not, however, immediately clear what exactly had happened. Around 80 minutes into the match, the play was stopped and an opposition player was being attended to. It was at this time that Ovejero decided to pull down his shorts, walk to the side of the pitch, and begin urinating. Once the play was supposed to resume, commentators and fans alike were surprised to see the referee hand out a red card. It was only understood properly once the reporter on the field made the situation clear and confirmed that Ovejero had indeed urinated on the side of the pitch.
The commentators were in disbelief at the bizarre situation, but perhaps nobody’s reaction was stranger than that of Ovejero himself. The Argentine, a former player of Copa Libertadores winners Banfield, was seemingly both enraged and genuinely astonished that he had been sent off for the act, a reaction that fans online found hilarious.
Watch the video here:
One of the journalists at TyC Sports said that the situation was “really unusual,” and that “it cannot be believed: expelled for urinating”. Argentine fans online found the whole situation to be hilarious and felt that it highlighted the crazy and sometimes unhinged nature of lower-division Argentine football.
One fan commented laughing, saying that “it can’t be”
Another fan said “Imagine not being Argentine and missing out on these lower-division gems”
While the fans of the sport seem to have taken well to the whole ordeal, Ovejero and his club will hope to move on from the incident sooner rather than later. The match, contested between Argentino de Merlo and Sacachispas, marks the early stages of the competition. Ovejero’s team has thus far accumulated seven points and sits in fourth place and will no doubt look to build on this for a successful season.
