Scandal in Bolivia: Guabirá coach reported death threats against his goalkeeper after conceding three goals and requesting his substitution against Always Ready

Bolivian football was plunged into a serious episode of off-field violence during the match between Always Ready and Guabirá in the local tournament. After conceding three goals in the first half and surprisingly requesting his substitution at halftime, it was revealed that the young goalkeeper of the Montereño team, Manuel Ferrel, and his closest family circle received serious threats through phone calls before and during the match.

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At the end of the match played at the Municipal Stadium of El Alto, the coach of Guabirá made the complaint public to the media to clarify what happened in the locker room. “At halftime the boy was crying, unbalanced. We found out that they threatened to kill his mother and him if he didn’t allow goals. I had to substitute him immediately because he was not in the psychological condition to continue playing,” the visibly distressed coach revealed about the dramatic moment his player went through.

Given the seriousness of the events, the professional squad and the board of the sugarcane institution issued a statement of absolute repudiation against any act of extortion and intimidation linked to betting networks or violent groups. The club demanded the immediate intervention of the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) and police authorities to provide the necessary guarantees for the physical integrity of the player and to find those responsible for the threats.

The case caused an outcry in highland football, where Always Ready and various sports institutions expressed their solidarity with the goalkeeper and his environment. The rival team’s management supported the call for a thorough investigation to stop the advance of criminal networks that seek to influence the competition’s development and endanger the lives of athletes.

This new scandal raises alarms in South American football about the risks professional athletes face from extortion groups. The FBF is preparing to forward the case records to the Sports Disciplinary Tribunal and the State Attorney General’s Office, while reinforced security protocols are being evaluated to protect the teams in upcoming national tournament matches.

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Marco Quilca León

Journalist at Deporte Total of El Comercio since 2018, the same year Peru fulfilled the dream of returning to a World Cup. Seven years at the newspaper covering Qualifiers, Copa América, World Cup, Olympic Games, Pan American Games, live and streaming. See more

marco.quilca@comercio.com.pe

@MarcoQuilca_06