Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez says he has had a tough time after the reaction to his horror challenge on Girona forward Portu last Saturday.
Nacho, 33, was widely condemned for his ‘tackle’ on Portu, which saw him stretchered off and leave the stadium in an ambulance. Portu is set to miss several weeks of action, as is Nacho, who was handed a three-game ban for his red card.
Girona fans at Montilivi responded with chants ‘assassin’ at the time, while many media outlets called the challenge ‘criminal’.
“I do not consider myself a criminal or an assassin, I consider myself a great professional. The only person I had to apologise to was Portu, and now I’m calm.”
“The sanction came out today, we had the game which is much more important than all this, we didn’t have time to talk about it. But they have been difficult days for me. Everything in this club becomes bigger than what it seems. I value the fact that I have been able to speak with Portu and that he is fine.”
Nacho is set to miss clashes against Osasuna, Sevilla and El Clasico against Barcelona.
“It makes me angry, the first one who is sad is me,” Nacho explained to Relevo.
“I have to comply with the sanction, I don’t know if the club will appeal, but three games out is not going to make Real Madrid collapse.”
As tends to be the case with Real Madrid and Barcelona, the media reponse tends to be hyperbolic, but few will sympathise with Nacho. The match was cruising to an end, with Real Madrid winning comfortably, when he made the tackle. It was fortunate that Portu was in the air and did not have his leg planted.