The harsh sanction received by Milton Leyendeker, the Agropecuario player who injured Changuito Zeballos

Milton Leyendeker received an eight match ban as a consequence of the serious injury caused to Exequiel Zeballos in the match played by Agropecuario de Carlos Casares and Boca Juniors, for the round of 16 of the Argentine Cup.

The Disciplinary Court of the AFA announced the sentence 15 days after the brutal kick. Since then, the defender had been serving a provisional sanction in the First National tournament, which prevented him from taking part in the last matches against Güemes de Santiago del Estero and against Deportivo Riestra. Thus, he has six penalty matches left to serve, so He will only be able to reappear on the last date against Deportivo Morón.

“I feel like I was crucified before I knew who I am. I’m a humble kid, I don’t win fortunes. I need to work”, had declared Leyendeker days ago in an interview with Infobaein which he accepted that the kick left a mark on his career and expressed his fear regarding the possible sanction.

Almost out of context was the kick that Milton Leyendeker gave Exequiel Zeballos at minute 5 of the match which faced Boca Juniors and Agropecuario in Salta, for the round of 16 of the Argentine Cup. The Changuito He faced him as a left winger, he took several lengths ahead of his markers and the number 2 went directly to look for him to intimidate him. Judge Nicolás Ramírez, in the first instance, gave him a yellow card, but later corrected himself and showed him the red one.

The decision of the judge – who ended up being the main one in the duel due to Ariel Penel’s injury in the previous one – was correct and it is worth mentioning that it is legal that he changed his mind since the game had not yet restarted when he finally expelled the defender of the Soybean. The images showed that the assistant Pablo González and the fourth referee Mariano Negrete approached him to warn him of the seriousness of the tackle.

After the struggles, pushes and protests from both sides, the referee showed Leyendeker the way to the showers, who He grabbed Zeballos at the knee and literally carried him off the court. Felt outside the boundary of the field, the man from Santiago had to be treated by medical assistants.

Boca number 7 broke down in tears on the benchvictim of impotence, due to pain and not having been able to take advantage of a title that he had not enjoyed for three games (the last time it had been against Argentinos Juniors in La Paternal for the Professional League).

Doctors had to immobilize his right ankle, the affected area. In principle, his substitution was as a precaution, but the tests he underwent the next day had the worst result: “Injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis with injury to the deltoid ligament and avulsion of the posterior malleolus of the right ankle. Surgical treatment is decided. Changuito Zeballos underwent surgery that same day and as reported, will have between four and six months of recovery.

“I am concerned about the issue of the sanction. I was in a very good moment, I had been a starter, I have a contract with the club, I had already spoken with the president about the renewal, I’m a humble kid, I’m not overwhelmed. I have a normal contract, I don’t earn fortunes. I have the contract of any worker who works eight hours, I earn more or less the same”, was Leyendeker’s concern at the impact of his kick.

“I need to play, I need to work. I never meant to hurt. I understand that they have to sanction me because it was an excessive foul, I only ask that they do not cut my career. Also on the side of I help my family, I help my old lady, who is with my little sister (she has 7 sisters). My mom makes food at home to sell. And I try to help her as much as I can,” concluded the Maciel native, Santa Fe province.

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