Espanyol have announced they will not longer put the ball out of play for injured opponents, and Javier Aguirre has taken responsibility.
The club have today released a communication that they will no longer play the ball out of bounds during games when an opponent is lying injured on the ground, ‘on the basis of fair play and sportsmanship’.
Reporting an intent to ‘return power to the referees’, the club say that they want to ‘prevent any attempt to take advantage of certain actions that could lead to certain suspicions’.
On from this, which Los Pericos say will apply at all levels that they are represented on the field, the club’s Coach has taken responsibility.
“It is my decision because I realised that in these games a high percentage of balls that we have played out when someone was down have then had consequences,” explained Aguirre.
“I have told my players that I do not want to see anyone on the floor and that the regulations are that the authority to stop the game is with the referee.”
Aguirre was talking ahead of Espnayol’s trip out to Levante on Saturday night.
“I expect a competitive game with aerial play, in search of mistakes from the opponent. Levante only win or lose by the minimum and in nine games they have only lost twice – in the Camp Nou and against Madrid, in extreme circumstances.
“I always tell the dressing room that they cannot behave like we are a small team who can only do well against the giants, because we are not and we have to play at 200 per cent across the 38 weeks and we will have to against Levante.
“It would be a good opportunity for us to win away.”
