Flip-flop ban? Cerro bid to stop rival captain’s ritual; find out why

The buildup to the Paraguayan derby between Cerro Porteño and Olimpia, which kicks off this Sunday (1), featured a rather “unusual” moment.

Olimpia captain and veteran midfielder Richard Ortíz has a superstitious ritual of inspecting the pitch at their rivals’ home, La Olla Azulgrana, wearing flip-flops.

But there was an attempt to stop him from repeating that ritual ahead of the Clausura matchday 17 clash.

Ortíz was leading the Olimpia players out of the tunnel toward the pitch.

But the gate was locked, and it stayed that way for several minutes.

At one point, they even started singing (see the video below).

Flip-flop ban? Cerro bid to stop

They were eventually let through.

And Ortíz did exactly what he had wanted: he stepped onto the pitch in flip-flops, sipping a coffee.

Some of his teammates also opted not to wear sneakers.

Flip-flop ban? Cerro bid to stop

There’s another little “detail”: Ortíz is also considered Cerro’s nemesis.

An Olimpia academy product, he had spells at Toluca and Libertad before returning to the three-time Libertadores champions in 2016.

He scored seven goals in his 50 derby appearances before this match.

Including a scissor kick in the decisive clash in the 2022 Clausura. A goal that helped them on their way to the title.

Olimpia lead after a STUNNER!

With Ortíz in the starting lineup, Olimpia are beating their rivals 1–0.

Thanks to a magnificent goal from 19-year-old forward Eduardo Delmas.

Flip-flop ban? Cerro bid to stop

That puts them clear at the top with 36 points.

Four ahead of Nacional.

Cerro, meanwhile, remain on 24. They sit seventh.

There are still five full rounds of fixtures remaining.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.