The Panamanian soccer player who kicked a beloved owl mascot may face sanctions by soccer’s governing body in Colombia, and even jail time, on news this morning that the owl has died of its injuries. It’s the incident that shocked soccer fans, animal lovers and of course students at Hogwarts, as Luis Moreno of Deportivo Pereira kicked the owl in the face after it hand landed on the field. The mascot of the Atletico Junior (Barranquilla, Colombia) soccer team, died today of respiratory arrest, no doubt from stress of being treated for its injuries.
The owl had been hit by a soccer ball and injured its wing. It landed on the field, and as referees stopped the game for the bird to be removed, Moreno kicked it.
The assault against the beloved animal was met with an eruption of boos from the fans filling the stadium who began to chant “Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!,” according to newspaper El Heraldo.
“I apologize to the fans, it wasn’t my intention, I did it to see if the owl could fly,” said Moreno after the game, which he left amid a heavy police guard. The Pereira player explained he did it to rid the field of the bird as quickly as possible.
“I was so angry he hit the little animal, especially after it had already been hit by the ball. I told him a bunch of rude things, a really felt enraged,” said Junior striker Luis Paez.
He isn’t the only one. There was an organized protest in front of the Nacional Soccer building in Bogota on Monday, and in addition, judicial authorities announced Monday they will press charges against Moreno, who could be jailed for “one to three months and be fined between 5,000 to 50,000 pesos ($2.6 to $26),” according to Bogota radio station Santa Fe.
We’re not sure of other repercussions, but for one thing, the bees are pissed.
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Soccer player assaults Barranquilla team’s mascot owl [Colombia Reports]
Soccer mascot owl dies after fatal kick [Colombia Reports]
