Brilliant 5-year-old goes on pitch to stop row between ref and manager

You'd have to have a heart made of stone to think that this isn't a fantastic image, as a five-year-old separates a fighting manager and referee.

By Adrian Collins

A child just five years of age, a single, fantastic gesture, and the thing that we all love most about the beautiful game are all contained in this one picture.

This past weekend, the image was captured in a game between Union Viera and another team in the age bracket known as “mini prebenjamin”, for 5-6 year-old kids.

At the time, there were two games going on simultaneously on the pitch, and there were plenty of parents and fans filling both sides of the pitch and in the stands.

During the first half, the manager pictured, had been unhappy with a few different decisions by the referee and had remonstrated with him at the break, letting him know exactly how he felt.

As the second half started, and after another decision went against him, the manager decided to walk on to the pitch and headed straight for the referee.

Cue Alejandro, the centre forward for Union Viera, who appears as if from nowhere in between the two arguing adults, neither of whom he knows, separating them with a simple gesture that encapsulates the purest form of a love of the game.

The brilliant image was captured by Rubén López Estupiñán, who was there to watch the game, and it has gone totally viral since.

All the fans, both from the game where the incident occurred and the other game which was also taking place, gave Alejandro's actions a standing ovation.

Little Alejandro himself went on local radio to discuss the incident with his father, Javi, and while he was very nervous, he did say that he simply wanted them not to argue, and all he said along with his gesture was "stop stop stop!".

Neither he nor his father wanted to name the team or the coach involved (so if you see a name on social media it is incorrect), they only wanted to discuss the act which his father said had made him “incredibly proud” of his son.

Out of the mouths (or gestures) of babes, as they say...

Hat-tip to 101greatgoals for the image.