Former Brighton star Ezequiel Schelotto came to the rescue in an unexpected fashion during his side’s game over the weekend – when he put out a fire that had started behind a goal.
The 36-year-old, who played 28 Premier League games for the Seagulls between 2017 and 2020, is now plying his trade as captain for Swiss third tier side FC Paradiso.
And when a fire broke out in the middle of their 2-1 win over FC Bavois on Saturday, Schelotto ran with a hose from the side of the pitch and put it out himself.
It is unclear how the fire began but footage on Instagram account TGDOM Sport24 appears to show it occurring by a Paradiso fan banner, just to the side of one of the goals in front of a car park at Campo Pian Scairolo, the club’s 1,000-capacity ground.
Wilfried Zaha confronts Ezequiel Schelotto (right) during a heated clash in 2020
… and Schelotto later goaded Zaha by making a ‘crybaby’ gesture on the touchline
Paradiso are based in Ticino in the south of Switzerland. Schelotto, born in Argentina, has played the majority of his career across the border in Italy, starting at Cesena and moving on to Atalanta and Inter Milan before joining Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, from where he moved to Brighton in a £2.5million deal in 2017.
The defender made 23 appearances in all competitions in his first season at the Amex under Chris Hughton, before being sent out on loan to Chievo in his second.
He returned to Brighton for the final year of his three-year contract – 2019-20 – and played nine more games for the club under Graham Potter before being released.
Schelotto did not see eye to eye with Potter, saying in a recent interview in Italy: ‘In the Premier League, I had a falling out with Potter. I played at home, never away. One formation at home, another away. So after a win against Arsenal, I asked him why, and he dropped me for a couple of weeks.’
He also had a bust-up with Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha during a heated M23 derby in 2020. Substitute Schelotto was booked for kicking a ball at the winger, who then ran over and gave him a shove. He later made a ‘cry baby’ gesture at Zaha, who was taking stick from the home fans during Palace’s 1-0 win.
Schelotto went on to play for Argentinian sides Racing Club, Aldosivi and Deportivo Moron before returning to Italy to join Serie B side Barletta in 2023. He moved on to Paradiso the following year.
