In a shocking, rather disgraceful incident, a female referee officiating a men's football game in Colombia was allegedly slapped on the face by a player, after the concerned player was sent off, being shown a red card. During a midweek match between Colombian sides Real Alianza Cataquera and Deportivo Quique, the referee of the game Vanessa Ceballos was allegedly slapped by Real Alianza Cataquera player Javier Bolivar, soon after he was issued a red card. The viral video of the shocking slap and the resentment from the referee after that has gone viral on social media. Lionel Messi Breaks Down in Tears As Fans Pay Tribute to Him Before His Potential Last Match in Argentina in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers (Watch Video).

Javier Bolivar Slaps Female Referee Vanessa Ceballos:

As per a report in The Sun, during the 66th minute of the match between Colombian sides Real Alianza Cataquera and Deportivo Quique, a player on the sidelines named Javier Bolivar was shown a red card by the officiating match referee Vanessa Ceballos. Seeing being shown the red card, the Real Alianza Cataquera player Javier Bolivar stormed towards Vanessa Ceballos, even before she'd finished raising the red card. After proceeding to get into her face, the player soon turned away. But while turning away, Javier Bolivar slapped Vanessa Ceballos across the face with his right hand. Will Mohun Bagan Super Giant, FC Goa Miss ACL 2 and East Bengal FC Women Be Denied AFC Women’s Champions League Spot if AIFF Faces FIFA-AFC Ban?.

Vanessa Ceballos Reacts By Kicking Javier Bolivar

The match referee, Vanessa Ceballos, turned furious after the sudden slap. In a viral video, she could be seen rushing towards Javier Bolivar and kicking him out before being restrained. The furious referee was seen trying her best to confront Bolivar, but was stopped in the process.

Javier Bolivar Expresses Apology Towards Vanessa Ceballos For Slap

Later, Javier Bolivar also opened up on his disgraceful act of slapping the match referee Vanessa Ceballos. As per the report in The Sun, Javier Bolivar took to his private Instagram account to clarify that the slap was not intentional, and he was just trying to pull the whistle from her mouth. As reported, he wrote on his Instagram account, “I recognize that my behaviour was disrespectful and inappropriate, unbecoming of an athlete and a human being." Daniel Levy Steps Down From the Position Of Tottenham Hotspur Executive Chairman After Nearly 25 Years.

Expressing his apology, Javier Bolivar added, "I want to make it absolutely clear that at no time was there any physical aggression toward the referee. However, I understand that my gesture was offensive and portrayed her as contrary to the values ​​of football and respect. Therefore, I humbly apologize to her, her family, the women, and everyone who was affected by what happened. I firmly reject any form of violence, especially against women. Women deserve all our respect, care, and admiration. My commitment is to work on my personal and athletic growth so as to never again repeat an act that violates anyone's dignity."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2025 09:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).