The drama surrounding Real Zaragoza’s survival fight in LaLiga 2 just took a turn for the worse.
Following the chaotic scenes at the end of the recent derby against SD Huesca, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has officially handed goalkeeper Esteban Andrada a massive 13-game suspension.
For a club already sitting in the relegation zone, this is more than just a missing player—it’s a full-blown crisis.
A Derby to Forget
What should have been a standard rivalry match ended in scenes that have shocked Spanish football.
In the 99th minute, with Zaragoza trailing 1-0, the tension finally snapped. After receiving a second yellow card, Andrada’s confrontation with Huesca’s Jorge Pulido escalated into a physical altercation, sparking a bench-clearing brawl that required security to restore order.
The RFEF Disciplinary Committee was swift and uncompromising in its ruling.
By handing down a 12-match ban for the assault plus one for the red card, they have effectively ended Andrada’s season—and perhaps his career with the club, given his current loan status from Monterrey.
The Fallout: Suspensions and Fines
The hammer didn’t just fall on Andrada. The committee also handed out punishments to others involved in the melee:
Dani Jiménez (Huesca): 4-match ban for his role in the brawl.
Dani Tasende (Zaragoza): 2-match ban.
The Road Ahead for Real Zaragoza
Currently sitting 21st in the table, Zaragoza was already facing an uphill battle to avoid the drop.
Losing their starting goalkeeper and a key defender like Tasende at the same time leaves the squad incredibly thin during the most critical month of the year.
The pressure now shifts to the backup goalkeeping staff and the leadership of the remaining veterans.
Can the team use this “us against the world” moment to find a spark of inspiration, or will the weight of these suspensions finally break their resolve?
The Big Question:
With the heart of their defense ripped out, do you believe Zaragoza has enough depth to pull off a miracle escape, or is the climb back to safety now officially impossible?