El partido de la previa de Copa del Rey entre el Atlético Unión Güímar y el Sporting de Hortaleza fue suspendido por el colegiado Rafael Aguilar Prats después de que el conjunto madrileño se negara a jugar tras diversos incidentes en Tenerife.
The fixture at the Interinsular Preferente de Tenerife venue was slated to decide which amateur club advanced to the official first round of the national tournament to face a Primera División opponent. Sporting de Hortaleza traveled to the Canary Islands holding a 1-0 aggregate lead from the first leg secured via a penalty kick, a previous encounter marked by four red cards issued to Atlético Unión Güímar players who finished that match with just eight men on the pitch.
Police Intervene as Fans Attack Sporting De Hortaleza
Security concerns overshadowed the fixture hours before kickoff, prompting the deployment of the Guardia Civil and the National Police’s Unidad de Intervención Policial (UIP). Sporting de Hortaleza reported that the visiting delegation endured a disruptive night before the match, with fireworks launched outside their team hotel until approximately 4:00 a.m. Local time.
Upon arrival at the stadium, the team bus carrying the Madrid players was pelted with stones. According to sources close to the squad, local supporters displayed machetes and knives while hurling rocks at the arriving visitors. The hostility escalated during pre-match warm-ups when an altercation broke out near the pitch. The club’s complaint alleges that Atlético Unión Güímar coach Aythamy Díaz threw a bottle toward Sporting players and subsequently assaulted visiting coach Jorge Mendoza.
Sporting De Hortaleza Players Refuse to Play After Unrest
The hostile reception left several Sporting de Hortaleza players visibly shaken and in tears, with squad members expressing acute concern over family members who were outside the stadium enclosure and unreachable during the worst of the unrest. Faced with these conditions, the Sporting de Hortaleza squad refused to play, leading match officials to suspend the fixture.
The disciplinary bodies of the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) must now review the referee’s match report, police logs, and club testimonies to determine sporting sanctions and the ultimate resolution of the suspended tie.
Sporting de Hortaleza held a 1-0 advantage from the initial leg played in Madrid ahead of the scheduled return fixture in Tenerife.
