A confrontation broke out between players from Municipal Liberia and Cartaginés after the referee Steven Madrigal ended their match on April 18. The game, which finished with a 1-0 victory for Liberia, saw tensions rise on the field as frustrations boiled over among the Cartaginés squad.
The incident occurred immediately following the final whistle, with players from both teams involved in pushing and shouting. The conflict was triggered by ongoing dissatisfaction among Cartaginés players regarding recent refereeing decisions. In their previous match against Herediano, they felt a legitimate penalty was not awarded and that a valid goal was disallowed. Similar concerns arose during this game when a penalty decision went against them.
Cartaginés substitute Yael López received a red card for throwing punches at opponents during the altercation before leaving the field. Midfielder Cristopher Núñez was shown a yellow card for his involvement in the scuffle; as it was his fifth of the season, he will be suspended for their next match against San Carlos.
Head coach Amarini Villatoro of Cartaginés voiced strong criticism of referee Steven Madrigal’s performance in his post-match press conference. “We are outraged. This makes people think badly and everyone is seeing it. It is an injustice; these are very clear mistakes. I cannot remain silent,” Villatoro said. He continued: “They gave Cristopher Núñez a yellow card—he already had four—and showed him another during the brawl. He won’t play in the next game, which leaves much to consider.”
The altercation has drawn attention to concerns about officiating standards within Costa Rican football and could lead to further scrutiny of refereeing decisions in upcoming matches.
