Javier Correa Banned Two Games for Gestures Toward Universidad de Chile Fans in Superclásico

Two games. That was the price Javier Correa ended up paying for his gestures toward the Universidad de Chile fans during the Superclásico, which Colo Colo won 2-1 at the Estadio Nacional. The Argentine striker thought he had gotten away with it, but the ANFP Disciplinary Tribunal decided otherwise.

The strange part of the case is that referee Juan Lara saw nothing out of the ordinary that afternoon and did not note any infraction by Correa on his match report. It was Universidad de Chile that, after reviewing footage during the week, decided to file a formal complaint against the striker. That complaint ultimately led the Colo Colo forward to testify before the Tribunal during this proceeding.

The Reasoning Behind the Punishment

Simón Marín, the body's secretary, was the one who laid out the grounds for the sanction. According to him, Correa violated article 63, letter B, number 3, of the ANFP's Code of Penalties, a rule that punishes with one to three games anyone who "insults or provokes an opponent, members of the coaching staffs, or the general public, inside the venue where the match is being played."

Insulting or provoking an opponent, members of the coaching staffs, or the general public, inside the venue where the match is being played.Simón Marín

Marín also clarified an important detail for Colo Colo: the sanction cannot be appealed, since it does not exceed the four game suspension threshold set by the regulations as the limit for filing a challenge. In other words, there's no turning back and no room for the club to try to overturn the punishment through administrative channels.

Which Games He'll Miss

With the ruling now final, Correa will sit out Colo Colo's next two matches. The first is the road trip to Huachipato this weekend in the south of the country, and the second is the clash against Deportes Concepción at the Estadio Monumental. Two significant matches for a team that needs to keep picking up points, and one that will now have to figure out its attack without one of its key players.

The episode also leaves an open question about referee oversight in high tension matches: if Lara didn't catch the gestures in the moment, how many similar incidents go unpunished when there's no follow-up complaint? For now, in this particular case, Universidad de Chile set the process in motion and the Tribunal responded with a sanction that Colo Colo will have to accept with no room for appeal.