Bolivian President Evo Morales was playing a soccer match when he reacted to someone being fouled.
HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Evo Morales was kicked in the leg by an opposing player
- The president responded by kneeing the player in the groin
- The player was sent off, but Morales continued to play
(CNN) — It was the kind of decision only a head of state could make.
During a soccer match, Bolivian President Evo Morales was filmed kneeing an opponent in the groin after an apparently serious foul. For his unsportsmanlike strike, Morales was not expelled, but the object of his attack was, for his offense against the president.
The incident occurred during a friendly football match that took place on Sunday in La Paz after the inauguration of the new field, but the political connotations were not absent.
The match pitted the president’s team against a team from the mayor of La Paz, made up of opposition politicians.
The official ABI news agency did not mention Morales’ action but detailed the misconduct that led to it.
The opposing player kicked Morales hard in the right leg, the agency reported. The player’s cleats left three marks on the president’s leg and caused bruising in the area.
“The president received a violent blow after five minutes of play,” writes the agency.
After the hit, Morales asked for a painkiller spray on the injured area and continued playing.
After the match, doctors who examined the president suggested up to 10 days of rest for the leg to heal, ABI reported. The pain Morales felt was a “seven out of ten,” doctors told ABI.
Morales continued working normally on Monday, but he was putting ice on his leg and regularly using anti-inflammatories, the agency reported.
