FC Andorra Lose 0-1 to Albacete Amid Late Goal, Four Red Cards, and Piqué's Tunnel Threats

FC Andorra suffered a 0-1 defeat to Albacete in Encamp on Friday, May 1, after a late goal by Jogo in the 86th minute, which followed an uncalled foul on Martí Vilà and a slip by Gael Alonso. The match, played under persistent rain, saw Andorra dominate possession and create chances through players like Martí Vilà, Josep Cerdà, Marc Cardona, and Yeray, but Albacete's compact five-man defense held firm until the decisive moment. Goalkeeper Lizoain made key saves, while Albacete's best first-half opportunity came from Betancor heading wide.

The final minutes descended into chaos. Referee Alonso de Ena Wolf issued four red cards to Andorra's bench—coach Carles Manso, Dani Ortiz, Jonathan Barreal, and Enrique Agudo—for protests, leaving the team unable to mount a recovery.

Post-match tensions escalated in the dressing room tunnel and parking area, as detailed in the referee's initial report and subsequent annex. De Ena Wolf noted delegate Cristian Lanzarote repeatedly calling his assistant "the worst in the category." Jaume Nogués, the sporting director, reportedly accused officials of assigning the referee despite a prior federation complaint. Gerard Piqué, the club's majority shareholder, allegedly shouted threateningly: "Now, if you want, put it in the acta." In the parking lot, escorted by security, Piqué and Nogués continued protesting, with Piqué saying: "You're leaving escorted, in case you get attacked." The annex described president Ferran Vilaseca approaching the delegate closely, pushing with his chest, clenching his fist as if to strike—stopped by police—and Nogués wishing the officials "an accident," followed by Piqué's remark: "In another country they'd beat you up, but here in Andorra we're a civilized country."

Andorra has firmly rejected these claims. In an official statement, the club expressed "firm disagreement," asserting the report does not accurately reflect events or conversations. It denies Vilaseca raised a fist aggressively, Nogués wished harm, and Lanzarote inflamed tensions—instead portraying him as de-escalating. The club has requested stadium and parking security footage to verify facts and demands a verbatim rectification, threatening legal action to protect its reputation.

Piqué publicly criticized De Ena Wolf on social media, noting a month-old request to Spain's Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) to bar him from Andorra matches, calling him unqualified with a "personal issue" against the club. This follows prior clashes, including a controversial draw with Mirandés where added time drew ire, and losses to Eibar and now Albacete—Andorra's only defeats in their last 12 games, both under De Ena Wolf.

The Spanish Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee will rule on Wednesday. Potential penalties include fines up to €3,006, suspensions of one month to two years for Piqué and Nogués due to recidivism, one- to two-match bans for the expelled staff, and club fines—building on €30,000 already paid this season for similar incidents. Andorra plans to present evidence to contest the severity. Carles Manso will miss the next game against UD Las Palmas regardless.