An Argentine soccer player has been expelled from a minor league game for mistreating a dog that wandered onto the field.
FOX Sports de Argentina broadcast images on Tuesday showing the player use both hands to grab the mid-size black-and-white dog by the collar and throw it toward the bleachers during the game. The dog struck a chain-link fence and fell down, but quickly got up and ran away.
The referee flashed a red penalty card at the player identified as Jose Gimenez, signaling his expulsion from the game between his Bella Vista team and the San Juan team in Tucuman province.
Once the video went viral after Sunday's match, Gimenez confirmed to La Gaceta de Tucumán that Bella Vista released him. In an effort to justify his actions, Gimenez compared his incident to others plaguing Argentine football.
Gimenez added: "Do you know the shame that I'm feeling? I don't want to go out in public. The incident was even shown in Buenos Aires How many things happen in football that do not have as much impact as what I did? Everything happens! I didn't mean to hit him."
