Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Las Vegas Lights’ Chelis gets 8-game suspension

Lights Beat Switchbacks 4-1

Steve Marcus

Chelis, technical director of the Las Vegas Lights, watches the team take on the Colorado Switchbacks during a game at Cashman Field Saturday, June 2, 2018. The Lights beat the Switchbacks 4-1.

Jose Luis Sanchez Sola, the Las Vegas Lights FC technical director, has been handed an eight-game sideline suspension following an incident with a fan after a game in Phoenix, the team announced today.

For the second time in the Lights’ inaugural season, Sola, commonly known as “Chelis,” finds himself suspended by the United Soccer League.

After a 4-0 loss Wednesday to Phoenix Rising FC, “there was an incident with a fan who yelled a profanity, to which Chelís inappropriately responded by placing his hand on the individual while asking the fan to repeat what he said,” team spokesman Ryan Greene said in a statement. “Both the club and Chelis regret the incident.”

On May 4, the USL suspended Sola for seven games, which was later was reduced to four for “brief contact with an official.” He finished serving that suspension on May 26.