Levante suffered a night of disappointment in the first qualifying round of the Women’s Champions League after losing (3-2) a match that seemed to be in control 0-2 against Twente. However, what struck the match the most was not the defeat itself, but a controversial action that marked a key turning point in the match.
The Levante players were leading the score by two goals as Twente started a game that caused controversy in the football world. It was at that moment when the Dutch players, in a gesture of supposed sportsmanship, returned the ball to Levante after a stoppage due to an injury to one of their players.
What happened next left many with a bitter taste. Twente’s Renate Jansen seized the opportunity and, in a controversial decision, decided to take a shot on goal when Levante players, Antonia and Silvia Lloris, dropped the ball for Levante goalkeeper Emma Holmgren to collect. The result was a goal that changed the course of the match, in the face of obvious protests from the players of the Spanish team.
The attitude of the Twente players towards this action did not go unnoticed, and many described the play as “unsportsmanlike”. Levante’s coach, Sánchez Vera, was quick to express his displeasure at what happened. In his remarks after the game, he said: “A ball we threw away because of an injury, Twente gave it back to us badly, we kept looking and they shot from midfield.”
Despite this controversy, Levante was eliminated and will not be able to play in the tournament that every player dreams of: the Women’s Champions League.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
