Nearly a week ago, on Wednesday 9th February, the Cadete DH, leader of their group, played away against Sevilla FC in a league match that ended in a 1-1 draw. During that game an action took place that generated great media coverage. The Malaguista team took the lead on the scoreboard whilst a Sevilla player was lying on the ground. Immediately afterwards, in a gesture of fair play, the 11 Blue and White players stood still so that Sevilla could compensate for the goal.
This is how Cadete DH coach, Iñaki Goitia explains the action: “It was a corner in our favour, we crossed and in the dispute one of our players fell on a rival, who fell to the ground. The clearance neared midfield, the players continued, without having seen what had happened inside the area. The Sevilla player was on the ground in the area, play continued and we scored a goal. The rival suffered an important injury, and as a result, we made the decision for having taken advantage of an unpleasant incident, that could condition a possible offside, with one less player who couldn’t defend the action.”
Reflecting calmly on the moment, the Blue and White coach recognised that “in the heat of the moment there were doubts. The following day we were talking, they understood, and I told them that they would sleep peacefully because of the decision made.” Goitia is “proud that these boys are representing Málaga CF.”
One of the Malaguista players on the pitch, Alejandro, confessed that “it was strange because we continued playing and we didn't realise that the player was on the ground.”
On social media, Sevilla FC highlighted the gesture of fair play that went viral. Goita said he was “surprised at the magnitude of the decision’s impact,” as “it should be commonplace” and he hopes “it will become the norm.”
For Goitia, the commitment to values “is important as we’re constantly training future players and, above all, people.” Being a group of players born in 2006, in full adolescence, he considers it “appropriate to take advantage of the field of play to instil values.”
Lastly, he talked about “prioritising sporting values, training and education for the children and for the good of sport.”
What happened in Sevilla is just another example of the line in which the MCF Academy follows. It should be remembered that the ‘Alevín’ team from the 2018/19 season won the Abdallah Ben Barek Award in the third edition of the #SiempreFuerte Awards, for rebuffing violence in grassroots football and for the example shown by turning their backs to a group of fans who had sparked an incident in the stands.
Blue and White Values are ever present.
