The match between León and Chivas that took place on the night of Tuesday, January 28, at the Nou Camp Stadium was filled with controversies, with the expulsion of Óscar García Junyent for attacking James Rodríguez being one of the most notable events. León's victory was overshadowed by the controversial behavior of the Chivas coach, who could miss the rest of the tournament.
The play that triggered the expulsion was a throw-in in favor of León, where García Junyent grabbed the ball with his hands and tried to hide it, being pushed by Nicolás Fonseca, which nearly made him fall backward. The reaction of the Spanish coach was not appropriate, responding with a kick in the air that hit James Rodríguez, which was seen by the central referee, who showed him the red card.
García Junyent's terrible action could have been classified as “violent conduct” by referee Óscar Mejía in his referee report. According to the regulations of the Disciplinary Commission of the Mexican Football Federation, this behavior could imply a fine of 90 to 300 UMAS, as well as a suspension of 1 to 15 matches.
If García Junyent receives the most severe punishment, he could miss the rest of the tournament, as four rounds have been played so far. However, it is unlikely that he will receive such a severe sanction, although he would return to coach until a hypothetical semifinal or quarterfinal if Chivas qualifies for the playoffs. Despite the reprehensible behavior, such a severe sanction seems unlikely for the coach of the tapatío team.
