The Royal Spanish Handball Federation has decided to sanction the field delegate of BM Lanzarote Ciudad de Arrecife, the president and the club itself after the match that took place last Saturday, February 22, between San José Obrero and Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto in Arrecife, in which a group of fans insulted and threatened the referees of the match.
The tension increased in the match when, in the 59:55 minute, after an arbitral decision to sanction with a free hit and exclusion. At that moment, the threats and insults from a group of CB San José Obrero fans began, such as "sons of bitches, come outside, we are going to kill you", "you are not going to get out of here alive, bitches" or "we should have killed you in Soria".
The Federation has disqualified the field delegate of the BM Lanzarote Ciudad de Arrecife team for six months for "refusing to act against the insults and harassment directed at the referees, which forced them to remain for some time in the center of the field, escorted and protected by players and officials from both teams, as well as not facilitating their access to the changing rooms."
In addition, it also fines him 1,000 euros "for seriously and repeatedly failing to comply with his obligations as Field Delegate Official, especially those detailed in sections b), c), d), f), g) and h) of article 71 of the Regulations of Matches and Competitions, both at the end of the first part and, above all, in the final moments, refusing to act against the insults and harassment directed at the referees."
Likewise, the Federation also sanctions the club with a fine of 4,000 euros for "the incidents caused by fans of the local team, together with some managers, at various times during the match, which, in addition, prevented them from writing the minutes and forced them to remain in the center of the field, having to be escorted and protected by players and officials from both teams who facilitated access to the changing rooms where they continued to be harassed and insulted by the spectators."
On the other hand, the organization has also disqualified the president of BM Lanzarote Ciudad de Arrecife for four months for "insulting, threatening and trying to coerce the members of the DHB214 match refereeing team in a serious and repeated manner, both at the end of the first half, insulting them and following them to the changing rooms, and at the end of the match, at which time, together with a group of fans from the local team, he continued to insult and harass the referees who could not leave the field."
The Federation indicates that "the specific aggravating circumstance provided for in article 7.g) of the Disciplinary Regulations is applicable as they have the status of spectator of the match but are in possession of a Federation License as Official of the local team."