Getafe defender Abqar sent off for touching the genitals of opponent in loss at Atletico

MADRID (AP) — Getafe defender Abdel Abqar was sent off for pinching the genitals of an opposing player during his team’s 1-0 loss at Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league on Saturday.

Abqar received a direct red card in the 55th minute after the referee reviewed video of the moment that his hand reached toward the groin area of Atletico’s Alexander Sorloth. Sorloth responded by grabbing the Moroccan player by the arm and slinging him to the ground.

Referee Miguel Ortiz wrote in his report that Abqar was sent off for having “pinched the genital area of an adversary." Sorloth received a yellow card for his retaliation.

Abqar said after the game that he never intended to touch Sorloth’s genitals.

“I want to make clear that it was not my intention to touch the player in that area,” he said. “In the video you can see I wasn’t looking at him when I touched him. I swear that I didn’t mean to touch him there. I just wanted to give him a pat, like we do in soccer.”

Atletico led from the eighth minute thanks to a goal from wing back Nahuel Molina. Diego Simeone’s team held on for the win that kept it in third place in La Liga.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer