MY ACCOUNT
Andres Guardado denied he was mocking Joan Jordan during giddy post-match celebrations after Real Betis beat Sevilla in the Copa del Rey.
Mexican veteran Guardado was caught on camera pretending to knock himself out with a water bottle, a day after Sevilla’s Jordan was struck by a missile thrown from the stands at Estadio Benito Villamarin.
Midfielder Jordan was hit during the celebrations of Nabil Fekir’s 39th-minute goal that equalised Papu Gomez’s opener.
The incident caused the game to be suspended, and it was completed behind closed doors on Sunday, resuming at 1-1 after 39 minutes, with Sergio Canales going on to score a second-half winner.
The 2-1 derby victory was celebrated extravagantly by Betis, and Guardado’s behaviour was widely taken as being a jibe at Jordan, who was taken to hospital for checks on Saturday and did not feature when the game resumed on Sunday.
Guardado, who is 35, slumped to the ground theatrically after bouncing the plastic bottle off his forehead.
He issued a response on Instagram on Sunday evening after coming in for criticism, saying: “Seville is green and white… and I take the opportunity to clarify the video that from what I see, everyone who does not know me has interpreted it in the wrong way, although totally understandable from the context.
“That is why I want to say emphatically that at no time am I making fun of the act suffered by Jordan … that it has been an event that should not be experienced on a football field and that it is unfortunate and a shame!
“Believe me, if I knew that Jordan was really bad, I would never do it!”
