• Primera División de Argentina

Referee abandons yellow card in ill-tempered match

ESPN staff
January 30, 2014

An Argentine referee retired his yellow card during a friendly between Estudiantes and Gimnasia in favour of showing his red for any future foul play.

By the 78th minute of the clash between the Primera Division rivals, Carlos Maglio had already handed out eight bookings.

So angry was the official that he spoke to both captains before casting aside his yellow card, threatening to instead punish any future offences with a straight red.

And Maglio stayed true to his word when just a few minutes later he sent off Estudiantes midfielder Israel Damonte for violent play.

Speaking at the conclusion of the 1-1 draw, Maglio said: "Retiring the yellow was a spur of the moment decision. I had already booked eight players and I didn't want them to keep hitting each other.

"The fourth official asked me to give it [the yellow card] to him -- that way it was clear to everyone that the yellow was no longer in play."

Maglio added that regardless of his decision to discard the yellow, Damonte would still have seen red for his offence.

"Even if I'd had the yellow cards he would still have gone off," he said. "It was a red card offence."

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