The Tribunal de Disciplina de la AFA handed Adrián Martínez a three-match suspension after his direct red card against Argentinos, ruling that the Racing forward will miss time for the elbow that struck Kevin Gutiérrez. The sanction was announced from the fourth round of the Torneo Clausura and leaves Martínez out for three league dates unless the punishment is cut.
That decision matters because Gutiérrez was left bleeding from the impact, and the disciplinary code cited in the Boletín treats aggression such as elbows, punches, kicks, bites, spitting or striking an opponent as an offense that carries at least three matches. In practical terms, the minimum is not a suggestion: under article 13, the starting point is three games or an equivalent period, which is why Martínez was hit with exactly that figure.
For Racing, the timing is immediate. Martínez is set to miss Banfield, Boca and Independiente Rivadavia if the sanction holds, a second suspension for him in the Clausura after he had already received two matches for his red card against Rosario Central. The pattern is what makes this ruling stand out: one tournament, two separate disciplinary cases, and both tied to the same player.
The same bulletin also dealt with Orlando Gill, who was provisionally suspended after being expelled in the classic against Huracán for an aggression against Lucas Blondel. Santiago Longo received one match, Adrián Sánchez received one match, and Jerónimo Russo was also listed among the sanctions. Gill was authorized to submit his defense in writing, which is the usual next step when the Tribunal keeps a case open rather than closing it with a final ban.
That is the friction inside the Martínez ruling. Article 13 sets the floor at three matches for this type of conduct, but sanctions issued in 2025 have sometimes been reduced later, and the AFA did not explain in this case why a cut would or would not follow. So the immediate answer is three games; the next answer, the one Racing will be watching, is whether the Tribunal keeps that number in place or trims it after review.
