Sergio Herrera causes chaos, faces the music… and leaves Osasuna exposed in Europe

CA Osasuna

174

Sergio Herrera
1.330.000€-230.000€    5

J1

PT

07

There are days when everything goes wrong. And Sergio Herrera’s game against Levante was one of those matches to quickly forget. The Osasuna goalkeeper went from being a reliable presence between the posts to becoming the absolute protagonist of the matchday… and not exactly for the right reasons.

The play is already circulating all over social media: a long ball looking for Espín, a rushed exit from Herrera, and a fatal miscalculation. The goalkeeper tried to clear the ball with his head, but ended up touching the ball with his hand well outside the area. Result: a straight red card and a “bury me” look even before the referee showed the card.

The most surreal part of all is that the action seemed taken straight from a schoolyard match. Sergio came out hesitantly, the ball bounced strangely on him, and he ended up improvising a “save” almost in the center of the field. A hard-to-explain image for a first-division goalkeeper. And, of course, the sending off completely changed the game.

Osasuna had to play the entire second half with one less, locked in defense, and making a huge effort to survive. The team paid dearly for their goalkeeper’s action. That said, one thing must be acknowledged about Sergio Herrera: he did not hide.

Right after the match he wanted to speak on DAZN, even breaking the usual protocol that prevents sent-off players from addressing television on the sidelines. The goalkeeper frankly admitted his mistake:

"I wanted to speak as one of the captains. Today I have to face it. Because of my mistake and for leaving the team with 10. It was my fault. I am proud of my teammates, who defended like wildcats. As a team, they were up to the task. Honestly, when I went out onto the field I saw it could happen because the pitch was dry. It slowed down, and then, unconsciously, I ended up handling it. It was a mistake and I take full responsibility. I have a teammate who is ready and who played a fantastic game. This is football, you have to know how to live with it. I feel bad because I harmed the team. I have no choice but to apologize."

A simple sentence, but one that perfectly sums up what happened. Herrera also hinted that the turf played a bad trick on him during the incident, though without seeking excessive excuses. The truth is that the Osasuna keeper had a dark afternoon from start to finish. He had already been singled out during the 2-2 draw, and the red card completed a performance to forget. Even so, in a football world where many hide behind clichés or disappear after mistakes, it is appreciated when someone steps up and faces the consequences.

There’s been a lot of speculation on social media about possible betting issues related to this action. Hopefully, those are just speculations.

10

Aitor Fernández
190.000€+30.000€    -

J1

PT

00

Sergio Herrera will have to rest next week, and his place at the Sadar against Atlético de Madrid will be taken by Aitor Fernández, who made his season debut yesterday, playing well and making 7 saves in the time he was on the pitch.