Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie received a straight red card for speaking while covering his mouth in a situation of confrontation in Ecuador’s World Cup round-of-32 game against Mexico on Tuesday
Hincapie, 24, became the second player to get sent off for the offence, after Miguel Almiron infamously made history for doing so in Paraguay’s group-stage win over Turkey.
The incident happened in second-half added time, with Ecuador 2-0 down. Hincapie went up to Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez and spoke to the AC Milan player with his hand over his mouth.
Gimenez then went over to referee Slavko Vincic to complain about the offence, just as Turkey’s Mert Mulder did two weeks ago when Almiron did the same thing.
Hincapie will receive an automatic one-match ban for the red card, with FIFA’s disciplinary committee holding the power to extend the suspension if it chooses to. Paraguay’s Almiron had his ban kept at one game.
The International Football Association Board – the body which sets the rules of the game changed its laws in April to include players covering their mouths in instances of confrontation being punishable with a red card.
The law was added after an incident involving Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni in a UEFA Champions League match in February.
During that match, Vinicius Jr alleged that Prestianni had racially abused him when the Argentine spoke to him while covering his mouth with his shirt. Prestianni denied racially abusing Vinicius Jr and was later hit with a six-game ban, three of which were suspended, for homophobic conduct.
There is no indication that Hincapie said anything discriminatory.
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