Boniface should have been fired for pulling his pants down

He Hoffenheim–Bayern Leverkusen This Saturday left us with an image that has traveled around the world. This is the double celebration of the Nigerian player of Bayern Leverkusen, Victor Boniface, with the two goals scored by the Xabi Alonso striker. Boniface scored his team’s second goal against Hoffenheim after a great play, in which he made the opposing defenders dizzy, and after scoring he went to the stands behind the goal and when he looked at some fans, he took off his pants, revealing his underpants. .

In the second half he scored again, again faced the stands, dropped his pants. Surprisingly, the referee didn’t warn him on any of these. Something he should have done already, to the point that he had to be fired because the same action was considered a warning. Even he commented at the end of the meeting that it was a trending celebration on TikTok. That would explain his behavior.

If we follow the FIFA regulations, what the footballer did should cause a double warning. For each action. This is what the IFAB (International Board) rules say in the section on celebrating a goal, where it states “Players can celebrate achieving a goal but not surpassing it; Choreographed celebrations should not be encouraged and should not result in excessive wastage of time. Even if a goal is disallowed, a player must watch out for any of the following four actions: climbing over perimeter fences or approaching spectators that create safety problems, act in a provocative or excited manner, cover the head or face with a mask or objects and take off your shirt or cover your head with it“.

In this case, he should be reprimanded for his clearly provocative attitude, even the fans of the opposing team were in the place where he went.

These are the regulations in Spain

In Spain, the regulations are included in article 96 of the current Disciplinary Code, and it is clear in this respect that the celebrations are classified as a serious event. It literally says “the football player who, on the occasion of scoring a goal or for other reasons arising from changes in the game, lifts his shirt and displays any kind of advertising, motto, legend, acronym, anagrams or drawing, regardless of they can do. be. reprimands section“.

The precedent of Leo Messi

In Spain, we have a precedent that occurred after the death of Diego Armando Maradona in November 2020. Then, Leo Messi, taking advantage of his goal against Osasuna, the fourth in the tally of the Barça team, took off his shirt to show another from Pelusa during his time at Newells, something Antonio Mateu Lahoz was punished with a yellow card. This is what the referee said in the arbitration report: “In the 73rd minute, the player (10) Messi Cuccittini, Lionel Andres, was warned for the following reason: For removing his shirt, after scoring a goal, showing a new shirt from Newell’s team Old Boys, from the 93/94 season, with the number 10 on the back“.

On December 2, 2020, the Competition Committee punished Leo Messi’s actions with a yellow card and a fine of 601 euros. The lowest level within the bass. The Barcelona club was also fined 350 euros. The Appeal Committee rejected the appeal presented by the Barça club for the Argentine’s fine and card. In November 2022, De Burgos warned Villarreal player Baena after lifting his shirt after scoring the tying goal against Almería to show off a shirt that read ‘Thank you for everything Llaneza’. A reaction that led referee Ricardo de Burgos to show him a yellow card, his second, and send him off the field.