El Nacional Players Sneak Out for Night Out Before Key Libertadores Match

A scandal has erupted in Ecuadorian football after El Nacional president Marco Pazos publicly revealed that several players left the team’s hotel on the eve of their crucial Copa Libertadores match against Bolivia’s Blooming. The incident, kept under wraps until now, sheds light on the internal unrest plaguing the club and the growing tension surrounding head coach Omar Asad.

“Before the game with Blooming, some players did indeed leave the hotel during our pre-match concentration,” Pazos admitted in an interview with Machdeportes. “Since then, they’ve had to fight to earn their spots back, and that’s why there’s been resistance towards Omar Asad.” The president declined to name the players involved, citing the need to protect them, but confirmed that internal sanctions were applied.

Despite the controversy, El Nacional managed to edge past Blooming on penalties after a 3-2 loss away and a 2-1 win at home. However, the club was later eliminated by Barcelona SC in the next round, and their league form has been disastrous — they currently sit at the bottom of the LigaPro standings.