Former Newcastle United star Miguel Almiron apologised to his Paraguay team-mates as he broke his silence after his record-breaking red card at the World Cup. The 32-year-old became the first player to be dismissed for covering his mouth, receiving his marching orders during the first half of their 1-0 victory over Turkey.
The flashpoint came on the stroke of half-time when a melee was sparked after a Turkey player tried to pick up a stricken Isidro Pitta in light of referee Ivan Arcides Barton Cisneros bringing play to a halt. A heated confrontation broke out, and officials were forced to separate the players, but away from the commotion, Almiron made the gesture as he walked past Mert Muldur, who wasted no time in alerting the nearby assistant referee. Matias Galarza’s solitary goal was enough as the South American side secured a vital victory in Group D.
Paraguay were made to dig deep throughout, with their task of protecting the lead made considerably harder when the former Magpies midfielder was sent off just before the interval.
Taking to his Instagram story, Almiron posted an image of his team-mates celebrating alongside a message that roughly translates as: “I want to thank the effort of my teammates today, leaving everything in each ball, thank you, thank you, thank you, a pride to be part of this selection.”
Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro disclosed that Almiron had offered an apology to his team-mates following the incident. He said: “According to the law, if you cover your mouth you’re sent off. Red card.
“There’s nothing I can do about that. Unfortunately, we can’t issue a new opinion on this. He [Almiron] apologised to the players for his mistake. He knew about the situation he had left his team-mates in with his actions.”
In the build-up to the World Cup, FIFA introduced a ruling stipulating that any player who covers their mouth during a confrontational situation with an opponent may face a red card. A special meeting of International Football Association Board (IFAB) was held in April where amended were introduced to be implemented at the World Cup, which included a red card for any player in the tournament seen covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent.
Almiron will now be absent for Paraguay’s concluding group fixture against Australia on June 26 in San Francisco. The Paraguayans currently occupy third place owing to their inferior goal difference, though victory would secure their passage through to the knockout stages.
Having suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of co-hosts USA in their opening group fixture, Paraguay were staring down the barrel of elimination heading into the match. Their hard-fought win, however, meant that Turkey — ranked 22nd in the FIFA world rankings — have been knocked out of the competition.
Should either side end up finishing third, they will be hoping to claim the honour of best third-placed team, with the top eight nations finishing in third advancing to the first knockout round via the trap door.