Facundo Reveco, player of Atlético Palmira, spent the night in a police station in Mendoza after an incident involving the Brazilian Erick Pontes from Montecaseros
Mendocino football was overshadowed by a situation that went beyond sports during the fifth round of the Amateur Regional Tournament. Atlético Palmira and Montecaseros faced off in a match that continued normally, but an action that occurred on the field led to a judicial intervention once the match was over.
The protagonist was Facundo Reveco, a player from Atlético Palmira, who was recorded on video making racist gestures towards the Brazilian Erick Pontes, a member of Montecaseros. The images show the player imitating a monkey towards his rival, an action that generated condemnation from the Mendocino club.
Once the match was over, prosecutor Oscar Sívori intervened ex officio, who ordered Reveco's transfer to the 55th Police Station of Mendoza. There he remained deprived of his liberty during the night as part of a contravention process related to incitement to violence and discriminatory gestures, before regaining his freedom hours later.
The stance of the clubs
The episode provoked an institutional response from both teams. On the side of Atlético Palmira, they expressed "theirdeep concern and condemnation for the events that occurred during the match against Montecaseros".
In the same statement, the club requested that the actions of public officials be guided by "objectivity, impartiality, and equality before the law" and stated that they do not seek "privileges nor to downplay any behavior that may constitute an infringement", but rather to ensure equal treatment and transparency.
The statement from Atlético Palmira
On the other hand, the institution also requested that other episodes be investigated that, according to their version, would have taken place during the match. Among them, they mentioned alleged obscene gestures from a referee towards Palmira officials and supporters and a supposed family connection between an intervenor and the president of Montecaseros. The club clarified that these are situations that must be verified by the relevant authorities.
On the other side, Montecaseros publicly supported their player and condemned the reported behavior. "From the Social and Sports Club Montecaseros, we want to make it clear that we are not in favor of any type of racist or discriminatory act within football or in any sphere", stated the institution.
The Montecaseros statement
Additionally, the club affirmed that Pontes received during the match "racist gestures, referring to a monkey" and considered that such attitudes "are totally reprehensible and do not represent the values we want for our sport".
