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Parents, players and the former coach of a Natomas League Youth Soccer league team are demanding answers from their league after they were told they could no longer play in any of the games this season.
“(This is) horrible, honestly this is the most outrageous situation I’ve encountered in the 10 plus years that I’ve been coaching,” Adrian Castillo, AC Milan’s former coach and current area coach, said.
Castillo told ABC10 there was a verbal altercation between some of the players and a referee two weeks ago.
“The referee got involved in an altercation with my goalkeeper; calling him a bad word and saying here’s a red card, get off my field, you're just a little b word,” Castillo explained.
He said that incident ultimately led to some of the team members to be suspended for 99 games.
“How can they suspend players for 99 games? Not even in professional games does that happen,” said parent Luzma Robles. “It's absurd and we want answers; why did that happen?”
In a statement, the Natomas League Youth Soccer President Jes Vargas told ABC10, "To be clear, we want to make sure it is understood that NorCal issues and determines lengths of suspensions of any player or coach who receives a red card or dismissal that occurs during a NorCal game."
Vargas told ABC10 the coach was suspended for eight games because he went on the field without permission. The NorCal Protests, Appeals & Discipline (PAD) Committee said that the coach was ‘dismissed for irresponsible behavior’.
On September 7, parents received an email from Vargas that read:
"The NorCal PAD Committee has determined to 1. Expel 04 Boys AC Milan from NorCal fall league and State Cup and 2. has recommended to the NorCal Board to place NYSL on a 12-month probation period. This means any additional violent conduct by any NYSL team may result in the immediate expulsion of NYSL from NorCal. In addition, NorCal has forwarded the previously determined player and coach suspensions to US Club for final determination. US Club will be scheduling a hearing on this matter. Until such hearing and review is over, US Club has advised the current 04 Boys AC Milan players and coaches not to be allowed to participate in any practices and games."
“I just want the board to know the kind of damage they're doing to these kids,” Castillo said.
The former team captain, Sergio Huerta, says it’s unfair the whole team is being punished.
“I just want our team to be back together and to be able to play,” Huerta said.
Officials with NorCal Premier told ABC10 they take allegations of referee assault very seriously. The organization provided the following statement:
"On 2018-08-26, during a NorCal Premier Soccer match, a referee was alleged to have been assaulted by the players and parents of one of the teams. As per our protocol, with any report of referee assault in NorCal Premier Soccer, an automatic indefinite suspension is given to the accused player, until a full investigation can be completed by both the NorCal PAD Committee (Protests, Appeals & Discipline) and our national governing body, US Club Soccer. Additionally, a police report has been filed against the individuals who were alleged of assaulting the referee."
The NorCal Board says it will have a meeting this week to determine if it will follow the PAD Committee’s recommendations.
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