This is what happens when you go against your pre-match superstition
Club America manager Ricardo La Volpe is a firm believing that shaking hands with the opposing manager before a match will bring his team bad luck. “I’m afraid we’ll be cursed if I shake hands,” he said before facing Real Madrid in the Club World Cup back in December. And yet, he shook the hand of Chivas manager (and fellow Argentine) Matias Almeyda before Saturday’s Clasico Nacional.
But it turns out there might be something to this handshake curse business.
Chivas went to beat America 1–0 with a 30th-minute penalty. In the 52nd minute, America were reduced to 10 men when Miguel Samudio was sent off, so La Volpe decided to fill that void himself in the 75th minute by stopping Jesus Sanchez near the touchline.
La Volpe felt that the ball had gone out and a throw in was in order, so he stepped onto the pitch to prevent Sanchez from continuing his attack. And though he did get the ball first, tripping the player wasn’t something the referee approved of, so La Volpe was sent to the stands.
America lost, La Volpe is likely to face further repercussions (both for the result and his actions), and now I totally understand why he doesn’t shake hands before a match.
