Nine players, coaches suspended for Cebu U-18 football melee

A football hits the back of a net. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Nine players and coaches from the Alcoy FC and the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu were slapped with a six-month ban for their part in the bloody brawl that ensued in an under-18 football match in Cebu City last weekend.

After thorough investigation of the altercation between the two squads, the Cebu Football Association (CFA) handed out the sanctions on Wednesday.

Five players from Alcoy and four players from Ateneo, and head coaches from both squads were all suspended for six months, barring them from joining all CFA-sanctioned meets.

Both Ateneo and Alcoy FC were also kicked out of the ongoing Aboitiz Cup.

In a post on its page, the Aboitiz Foundation said that it will not condone the unacceptable behavior witnessed in the fight-marred game at the Aboitiz field last Sunday.

“The Aboitiz Football Cup was created 16 years ago to promote the values of teamwork, discipline, sportsmanship and even education itself, among the youth and [we] hope that these values will continue to be upheld,” the post also read.

According to reports, the melee broke with Ateneo well in the lead, 3-1, after a foul by a player from Alcoy was met with a verbal reaction from a player from the Ateneo side.

The match was halted in the 37th minute as the young players and adult spectators figured in a free-for-all.

Alcoy FC’s goalkeeper was rushed to the hospital because of head wounds. With reports from Jonas Panerio, Cebu Daily News

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