Brazil’s Flamengo fires Sampaoli’s assistant for punching striker Pedro #Brazils #Flamengo #fires #Sampaolis #assistant #punching #striker #Pedro

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Flamengo fired assistant coach Pablo Fernández on Sunday after he punched striker Pedro in the face. The footballer had filed charges against him due to the incident that took place the day before in the dressing rooms after a league match.

Multiple Brazilian media outlets informed the 52-year-old Fernández was fired after a meeting with club executives, and added coach Jorge Sampaoli could also lose his job because of his assistant’s assault. Later this week, Flamengo will play the first leg of its Copa Libertadores round-of-sixteen tie against Paraguay’s Olimpia.

Striker Pedro, who was in Brazil’s squad in the latest World Cup edition, said on his social media channels that Fernández punched him on the mouth after Flamengo’s 2-1 win against Atletico Mineiro in a Brazilian championship match. Minas Gerais police said in a statement that the assistant coach slapped him three times before the punch.

Pedro confirmed on Twitter he had filed charges against Fernández and added he has had difficulties with Sampaoli’s assistants. The Argentinian coach took over at the defending Copa Libertadores champions in April.

“The physical cowardice came after the psychological cowardice I have endured in recent weeks,” Pedro said. “May God forgive a person who believes, in 2023, that a physical assault will sort out any problem.”

Earlier on Sunday, Fernández apologized in a statement, and claimed he was “very upset and willing to resolve the situation” with Pedro as soon as possible when he punched the striker.

“High-stress situations that make us react and think badly,” Fernández said. “I don’t mean to put this context as an excuse but as an explanation.”

Fernández was suspended by France’s Ligue 1 in August 2021 after he punched a fan during a brawl at a match between Olympique Marseille and Nice.

His boss Sampaoli said in a another statement that “the only solution (to the crisis) is to have a conversation.” The Argentinian coach has worked with Fernández since 2019.