Cebu’s football circuit has been trending in social media over a football fracas on the field last Sunday.
Two players are captured in dramatic photos showing a spectator pounding on one of the football players and another spectator rushing to pacify the fracas.
Commentators rushed to the conclusion of undue violent interference by an adult spectator in a youth football match.
Sports is supposed to be about healthy competition. Emotions understandably run high when the game gets hot and the struggle to win escalates. But athletes have to contend with that pressure without losing their cool.
It was reported that aside from being overplayed 3-1, a few minutes before the first half of the match, players from Alcoy Football Club were taunted by Ateneo de Cebu booters, leading to the scuffle.
It is good that the Cebu Football Association (CFA) acted quickly and organizers of the Aboitiz Cup were decisive. They dealt a firm and fair hand before parties could sulk and consider going to court.
Now that the CFA has spoken, social media reaction should begin to calm down and ease up on the condemnation.
The image of a spectator pinning down a player and raining blows on the boy’s back and head was only a slice of the total drama.
As the investigation later revealed, the incident was not limited to the few photo frames that went viral.
Witness accounts and other photos indicate that the free-for-all involved not just Ateneo de Cebu fans, but also Alcoy FC fans.
The incident did not only involve the goalkeeper of Alcoy FC and an Ateneo de Cebu booter but many other players.
Based on their investigation, the CFA meted indefinite suspensions on nine players – five from Alcoy FC and four from Ateneo. Coaches of both clubs were dealt the same penalty.
On top of that, officials of Aboitiz Cup disqualified Alcoy FC and Ateneo de Cebu.
The CFA is now making changes in how games in tournaments they supervise should be played. Now they will make the pitch off limits to all except players and game officials.
In football-crazy countries, this rule is sacred. Crossing the white line involves heavy consequences.
We hope the CFA fulfills its promise to look deeper into the case and come up with a final ruling on the suspended players and teams.
There are important lessons in sportsmanship and fair play to be lived out. As CFA publicly declared, football clubs are not just venues for players to excel in the technical aspect of the game, but to develop character.
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