Mainz ready to sell Gonzalo Jara after Edison Cavani prodding incident

Jara was seen to prod Cavani before diving when the Uruguayan reacted

Gonzalo Jara was seen to prod a finger into Edison Cavani’s bottom during the Copa America clash between Chile and Argentina. Photo: Claudio Reyes/Getty Images
Gonzalo Jara was seen to prod a finger into Edison Cavani’s bottom during the Copa America clash between Chile and Argentina. Photo: Claudio Reyes/Getty Images

Mainz are ready to offload Gonzalo Jara after the Chile international made headlines at the Copa América by appearing to poke Edinson Cavani's bottom before falling to the floor theatrically when the Uruguay striker retaliated.

Television images showed the 29-year-old defender, who has a contract until 2016, prodding Cavani during Chile’s 1-0 victory in Santiago on Wednesday. Cavani reacted by pushing Jara away with the back of his hand but the Chilean fell to the ground as if he had been punched. The Brazilian referee showed Cavani his second yellow card of the game and sent him off.

"He knows that if an offer comes he can go," the Mainz sports director, Christian Heidel, told Bild. "We do not tolerate that. More than the prod, however, it is what comes afterwards that makes me angry. I hate theatrics more than anything."

Images of the incident spread quickly on social media and it was the main talking point from the match, which sent Chile into the last four of the competition for the first time in 16 years.