UANL Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman has been suspended for 11 games, fined an undisclosed amount and assigned an undisclosed amount of community service by Liga MX, the league announced on Thursday. Guzman was given the punishment after he was seen shining a laser pointer at the CF Monterrey goalkeeper during a game between the sides earlier this month. Guzman was caught by cameras shining a laser pointer toward the field from a suite during the match, after which CF Monterrey has filed an official complaint with Liga MX’s disciplinary committee.
Guzman, Tigres’ usual starting goalkeeper who is well-known for antics on and off the field, was injured for the match and was watching from a luxury suite. Crosstown rivals CF Monterrey came back from 3-1 down to earn a 3-3 draw thanks to a stoppage-time header in the match between the two Monterrey-based sides, referred to locally as the Clásico Regiomontano.
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Guzman is said in the complaint to have directed the laser toward Monterrey goalkeeper Esteban Andrada. After the match on Saturday, Andrada took to his Instagram to offer an expletive-laden post that criticized Guzman’s behavior. Andrada himself may face a sanction as his post contained a homophobic slur.
Several videos circulating on social media show a figure resembling Guzman in the luxury box with his teammates with his arms folded, shining the laser onto the field of play. CF Monterrey confirmed to The Athletic that the first video, linked below, is from the security cameras at Estadio BBVA.
¡Lo que no se vio del #Clásico Regio!
Nahuel Guzmán apuntando desde un palco con un laser a Andrada, el portero de Rayados pic.twitter.com/DCvmYonF3x
— MedioTiempo (@mediotiempo) April 14, 2024
Más pruebas contra Nahuel Guzmán pic.twitter.com/ejoLRW97ER
— Absalon Rayado (@absalon78) April 14, 2024
Tigres did not reply to a request for comment.
Guzman’s involvement in Friday’s match did not end at the stadium; later in the evening he criticized the match officials in an Instagram post and suggested that Monterrey’s stoppage-time equalizer never should’ve counted, as the ball wasn’t properly placed on the corner marker and the corner itself was taken in the 10th minute of added-on time after just eight minutes had been signaled.
Laser pointers are occasionally used by fans to distract opposition players during games in Latin America and elsewhere in the world, though their use is generally forbidden. Laser pointers can cause significant damage if shone directly into the eye.
Guzman’s previous stunts include performing a magic trick just before facing a penalty kick, hiding underneath a tarp after being sent off, and numerous other on-field interactions with opposition players. He has made 458 appearances with Tigres since joining the club in 2014, the second-most in club history, and was part of the Argentina squad at the 2018 World Cup.
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(Photo: Mauricio Salas/Jam Media/Getty Images)
