Gonzalo Quesada Steps Back Amid Controversy
In the national rugby team’s final summer test match—the game against Australia on the third day of the Nations Championship— Gonzalo Quesada will not be allowed to sit in the coaches’ box due to a suspension imposed by the Disciplinary Commission following remarks deemed “inappropriate” toward the referee of the New Zealand-Italy match, Frenchman Luc Ramos. The Argentine coach had initially been suspended for two matches, but following an appeal by the Italian team and an analysis of mitigating circumstances, the suspension was reduced.
Through the FIR’s official channels, Quesada nevertheless chose to backtrack on what he had said in the post-match press conference in Wellington: “My comments were made in the heat of the moment, when my thoughts were focused solely on my players and the disappointment they were feeling after such an intense Test match against New Zealand.”
“I apologized privately to Luc Ramos and I want to do so publicly,” he added. “He is a referee who deserves to officiate at this level, and I have the utmost respect for him, as well as for all match officials. Discussions regarding refereeing should take place in the appropriate forums, not in public: the words of us coaches and players carry weight and can contribute to criticism or abuse directed at referees, particularly on social media, and I deeply regret if my comments played a part in this.”
““Throughout my career—first as a player and now as a coach—I have always sought to embody the values of our sport with respect, integrity, and humility, and I remain fully committed to doing so,” concluded Gonzalo Quesada, who will be replaced as head coach by his trusted assistant, German Fernandez, for Saturday’s match against Australia.
