FORMER Tottenham and Aston Villa star Clement Lenglet received the first red card of the Club World Cup — despite the referee forgetting he had already been booked.
Lenglet, 29, lined up for Atletico Madrid in their heavy 4-0 defeat to newly crowned Champions League kings Paris Saint-Germain.
Clement Lenglet became the first player to see red at the Club World Cup
AFPThe referee initially only booked Lenglet… despite having already shown him a yellow[/caption]
The 16-time France defender had only just completed a permanent move to Atletico from Barcelona after a season-long loan move.
But Lenglet’s time against PSG ended in disaster when he was given his marching orders during the second half.
With the score at 2-0 and 13 minutes left on the clock, Lenglet began to argue with Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs after a minor decision went against Atleti.
The official was having none of it though and quickly brandished a yellow card.
However, Kovacs had seemingly forgotten that he had already booked Lenglet earlier in the match, leaving fans and pundits stunned.
He was quickly made aware of the incorrect decision though.
And after a minute, Kovacs returned to Lenglet before producing a red card.
Fans were quick to react though, with many criticising Kovacs.
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
One said: “The ref in this game has been something else.”
Another declared: “Worst I’ve ever seen.”
Lenglet had a loan spell in the Premier League with TottenhamGetty
GettyHe also had an underwhelming season at Aston Villa[/caption]
One noted: “Bro this ref.”
Another added: “Referee needs to be questioned.”
Lenglet will now miss Atletico’s next game against Seattle Sounders.
But he will be able to play in the final group match against Brazilian champions Botafogo, with the winner likely to claim second spot behind an unstoppable-looking PSG side.
Lenglet is best known to Premier League fans for underwhelming loans at Tottenham and Villa.
He made 35 appearances for Spurs during the 2022/23 season, with the Londoners opting against making his move permanent.
Lenglet then spent the following campaign at Aston Villa, but failed to impress in 25 outings.
Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
