AFC Champions League Drama: Buriram United Captain Receives Red Card For Shocking On-field Incident

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Last Updated:December 08, 2024, 08:00 IST

While the match was filled with tension, it took an unexpected turn when Theerathon Bunmathan did something controversial.

Buriram United had to play the rest of the game with ten men.
(Photo Credits: Instagram)

A shocking moment during the AFC Champions League match between Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and Thailand’s Buriram United caught everyone’s attention during a recent game. While the football match was already filled with tension, it took an unexpected turn when Buriram United’s captain, Theerathon Bunmathan sparked outrage with his actions. During the match, Theerathon was knocked down by JDT’s Arif Aiman. To be kind and show sportsmanship, Aiman offered his hand to help Bunmathan get up. But, surprisingly, after accepting the help, Bunmathan decided to pinch Aiman’s genitals.

Due to his sudden action, Aiman immediately collapsed on the ground, which left other players and spectators confused. The incident happened so quickly that it was hard to notice and even the referee didn’t see what had happened. To understand why Aiman was in pain, the referee reviewed the scene through the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). After carefully checking, the referee decided to give Bunmathan a red card for his actions, which meant Buriram United had to play the rest of the game with only ten players.

After the game ended between Johor Darul Ta’zim and Buriram United, Theerathon Bunmathan realising his mistake issued a public apology on Facebook. He wrote, “From the incident that occurred in the recent match, I would like to apologize for my inappropriate behaviour. I deeply regret and am very disappointed in myself for not being able to control my emotions. This should not have happened. I sincerely apologize to the president of Buriram United, the coach, my teammates, Buriram fans, and those who support me. I want to say sorry, I don’t know what more I can say beyond apologising. I feel extremely guilty for my actions this time."

“What I did was not a proper example for the youth. To the younger generation who look up to me, please take my mistakes as a lesson and only take what is beneficial from me to use positively. I will work on improving myself, managing my emotions and maintaining better self-control to set a good example for young people. I also want to thank everyone for their constructive criticism and advice. I understand the anger, frustration and disappointment from everyone because even I am extremely angry and disappointed in myself. I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart," Bunmathan added.