As players and coaches line up to condemn Gonzalo Jara for his role in getting Edinson Cavani sent off during Chile’s Copa America quarter-final win over Uruguay, the defender’s club have joined in the chours of criticism by saying said are prepared to sell him.
Mainz are ready to offload Jara after he poked Edinson Cavani’s bottom, before falling to the floor theatrically when the Uruguay striker raised his hand in retaliation.
“He knows that if an offer comes he can go,” Mainz sports director Christian Heidel told Bild. “We do not tolerate that. More than the prod, however, it is what comes afterwards that makes me angry. I hate theatrics more than anything.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIo9Yt2pDX8
Meanwhile, players and coaches have spoken out against the defender for trying to provoke Cavani, whose father was arrested this week for his part in a fatal traffic accident.
“Particularly when you consider it was Cavani, and all the other problems he’s had this week, it was shameful,” Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said.
“There is absolutely no justification for it whatsoever. And on top of all that, Cavani barely touched him.”
Colombia coach Jose Pekerman also criticised Jara, saying the move had tarnished the image of the sport.
“We all want to win and there is pressure on everyone to win, but the contest has to be noble,” he said.
“Football is a sport that the whole world watches. There are certain rules that must be respected.”
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez could not hide his anger at the incident.
“You can see what happened and what the challenge was. I refer you to the television and photos of it, it is all there,” Tabarez said.
“I can see that the referee has not seen it, but the linesman had to be able to see it from his position.”
Meanwhile former Uruguay captain Diego Lugano issued a warning to Jara.
“I’ll have to speak to that little Jara character when we bump into each other one day!” Lugano said, somewhat ominously.
And it’s not the first time the defnder has tried to provoke an opponeny by poking him in the bottom. Back in 2012 it was Gonzalo Higuain of Argentina who found himself on the receiving end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwY77X4J2kw