Zamorano Suspended 11 Games
They call him “Bam Bam.” And apparently for good reason.
Ivan “Bam Bam” Zamorano, the former captain of Chile’s national team, paid for his verbal and physical attack on referee Carlos Chandia during Sunday’s final between his club, Colo Colo, and Cobreloa with an 11-match suspension, the Chilean league announced Wednesday.
The ban, which covers nearly half of Chile’s upcoming Clausura championship, could prompt the 36-year-old Zamorano to retire, Chilean media speculated.
Zamorano and teammates Marco Villaseca and Miguel Riffo were hit with red cards after they surrounded Chandia to protest Cobreloa’s third goal as being offside in an eventual 4-0 defeat.
But it was Zamorano, the former Real Madrid and Inter Milan forward who returned to his homeland this season after 14 years abroad, who was seen poking Chandia in the chest during the confrontation.
Angel Botto, president of the league’s disciplinary committee, told Reuters that Zamorano essentially got off easy, what with the maximum penalty for such an act a 50-match ban and Chandia’s status in Chilean futbol circles.
“He’s Chilean football’s No. 1 referee, it is he who represents us in the international field and he has a dignity to protect,” Botto said.
Villaseca and Riffo were dealt four- and three-game suspensions, respectively.
Marquez to Spain
Mexican defender Rafael Marquez jumped from Monaco in the French first division to Barcelona of the Spanish league, signing a four-year contract to complete the $5.67-million transaction.
Marquez, 24, is expected to fill the gap left by the departure of Dutch defender Frank de Boer, 33.
“He is a class defender and has the ability to play the ball out from the back, which suits [Barcelona’s] style of play,” Txiki Begiristain, the club’s sporting director, told Reuters.
Marquez joins Turkey goalkeeper Rustu Recber, who went to Spain on a free transfer from Fenerbahce, as club President Joan Laporta’s second international signing since his election last month.
No Ronaldinho
The recent signings of Beckham and Argentine defender Gabriel Milito have prompted Real Madrid to end the chase for Brazilian forward Ronaldinho.
Milito, 22, left Independiente of Argentina to sign with Real Madrid for a transfer fee of $3.5 million.
“[Milito] is a great signing,” Coach Carlos Queiroz told Spanish sports daily Marca. “He is an excellent distributor of the ball and is a real battler. He is quick, skillful and strong.”
MLS All-Stars
Major League Soccer’s All-Star team that will face Mexico’s Chivas of Guadalajara on Aug. 2 at the Home Depot Center will feature three Galaxy players -- goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, defender Danny Califf and forward Carlos Ruiz.
Times wire services contributed to this report.
