Athletic Club appeal rejected; Laporte suspended for Getafe match

OPA WIRE, Oct 23 (OPA) — The Sports Discipline Committee upheld the one-match ban for Aymeric Laporte after reviewing the club’s appeal against his recent expulsion. Referee Alejandro Quintero González dismissed the defender in the 73rd minute for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by bringing down an opponent.

Athletic Club argued that the referee’s report contained a manifest material error, claiming video evidence showed a challenge without contact. The club requested that the expulsion and all subsequent disciplinary consequences be annulled, asserting that the factual basis for the red card was absent.

However, the disciplinary body rejected these arguments after examining the provided footage. The committee stated that the images were consistent with the referee’s account, noting that the video clearly shows the player grabbing his opponent’s jersey and making contact from behind.

The committee concluded that the evidence submitted by Athletic failed to provide clear or unequivocal proof of an error. Consequently, the panel maintained the presumption of accuracy afforded to the official match report, confirming Laporte remains unavailable for the upcoming fixture.