SIX officials have been suspended after playing 42 MINUTES of added time during a Bolivian top-flight match.
New Fifa guidelines implemented during the World Cup saw more injury-time in Qatar as football’s governing body attempted to clamp down on time-wasting.
But these fresh rules led to remarkable scenes in South America in a clash between Atletico Palmaflor and Blooming on Monday.
Atletico Palmaflor looked to be easing towards a 2-0 victory after Gilbert Alvarez doubled their lead in the 82nd minute following Jonathan Canete’s first-half spot kick.
But the astonishing conclusion to the match – played on a partly-flooded pitch – then began to unfold when Blooming pulled one back through Gaston Rodriguez Maeso.
The goal required a 17-MINUTE VAR check for a possible offside before it was eventually given.
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It was then assumed that a lengthy amount of stoppage-time would be added on.
However, rather than the 18 or 20 minutes expected, 30 MINUTES were tagged onto the end of the game.
Referee Julio Fernando Gutierrez then showed two red cards to Blooming players during the dramatic, fiery finale as brawls ensued.
In between the dismissals, Blooming also equalised through Jose Luis Sinisterra.
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Atletico Palmaflor then retook the lead in the 38th MINUTE of stoppage-time through Canete.
And five minutes later Gutierrez finally blew his whistle to signal the end of the 132-minute match.
Despite clinching victory in the Bolivian Primera Division clash, Palmaflor chief Evo Morales was not happy with the ref after the game.
He said: “We are happy for our team’s victory against Blooming, despite the suspicious refereeing.
“We are sorry about it and ask for a performance review of all the referees who exaggeratedly prolong matches.
“We would not like to think that they were looking to make our team lose.”
Meanwhile, Blooming’s official social media account mocked the officiating by stating that the final whistle signalled the “end of the third half”.
It has since been confirmed that the Bolivian soccer federation have suspended Gutierrez and five other officials while they investigate evidence of foul play.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
