Argentinian Footballer Says He Used a Needle to Pierce Strikers During Cup Match

The president of Argentinian lower-league outfit Sport Pacifico has vowed to "expel" defender Federico Allende from the club after he admitted to pricking opponents with a needle in Sunday's clash against Estudiantes.

Allende appeared on Vorterix Radio radio after his side's 3-2 victory and bragged about using a needle against the opposing team's strikers (h/t BBC News). He proclaimed:

"We knew that we had to play dirty against them and I kept piercing the Estudiantes strikers with a needle.

"We know that top division players don't like contact, they don't like if we waste time or if we play dirty. So that was the way to do. Football is like that. Football is for the clever."

The comments haven't been well-received, however, with president Hector Moncada telling Argentinian newspaper Clarin (h/t BBC News), "We are devastated. This incident has tarnished the team's good work. I will expel him from the club."

Pacifico went on to beat Estudiantes 3-2 and knock them out of the cup competition, although the occasion was marred by Allende's admission of foul play—which seems like an understatement in this instance.

BBC 5 live radio presenter Phil Williams commented on the incident and took note of the irony at play:

Allende boasted that he "completely nullified [Juan] Otero," which seems like an exaggeration considering he scored Estudiantes' first goal of the evening to bring the score back to 2-1 from two goals down.

Technology expert Colm Smyth was among those who didn't take kindly to Allende's admission:

By coming clean about his act, Allende may be putting his football future in jeopardy, and the words of his president are at least evidence to the fact his time at Pacifico appears to be done.

The defender spoke of the need to play dirty in order to beat the best, but Allende's bypassing of the law could end up punching a hole in his own career prospects.