ONLY CESC FABREGAS will know what he was thinking as he booted the ball towards the referee and a crowd of players last night before striking Chris Brunt flush on the head.
The only reasonable explanation we can come up with is that he wanted an extra week’s holidays and saw that moment as the perfect opportunity to plot his early release.
Mike Jones had little hesitation in brandishing the red card, a decision which has left Jose Mourinho incensed at the prospect of his midfielder facing a two-game ban when the action resumes in August.
But, believe it or not, there have been a couple of other bizarre dismissals down the years which left us scratching our head and the guilty party heading for an early bath.
Eden Hazard and the ball boy incident
Not that a trend is developing here but Chelsea were at the forefront of a bizarre incident a couple of seasons ago when Eden Hazard was given his marching orders for kicking out at a ball-boy.
Chris Morgan, who referred to himself as the ‘King of Ballboys’ was running down the clock by employing delaying tactics during the Blues’ League Cup semi-final at Swansea and Hazard’s frustrations boiled over.
We just love the reaction of the ball boy as he rolls around in agony, clutching his stomach before being helped off by the physio.
Referee Chris Foy produced the red and Hazard later apologised to Morgan.
Mascherano’s outburst
We all know Javier Mascherano is a bit of a terrier on the pitch but he showed his aggressive side off it too when he saw red for kicking out at a medic during Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Ecuador.
The former Liverpool man was being stretched off but wasn’t best pleased with the way the medic was driving the buggy and lashed out.
“The stretcher was going too fast and I was about to fall. I warned him (the driver) and he ignored me, but what I did was not justified,” he said afterwards.
There clearly wasn’t anything wrong with him as he hopped off the buggy when he saw red being shown in his direction.
An instant impact
3.7 seconds. That’s how long Wycombe’s Matt McClure lasted after coming off the bench before seeing red. From the kick-out, he was adjudged to have elbowed his opponent and was heading straight back down the tunnel. Wonder did he get his match appearance fee?
El-Hadji Diouf being El-Hadji-Diouf
Having scored a penalty at one end, the Senegalese international proceeded to run towards the away fans and make a naughty gesture to the Brighton supporters. His manager Brian McDermott said he ‘can’t understand Diouf’ and Leeds fined him two weeks wages.
A case of mistaken identity
Poor old Andre Marriner. He thought he may the correct call after spotting a hand stop Eden Hazard’s goal bound shot cross the line but unfortunately he wasn’t too sure who’s hand it was.
Despite protesting his innocence, Kieran Gibbs had to trudge off for the foul committed by his team mate, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Marriner issued an apology to both players afterwards but Arsenal lost 6-0.
Which one do you think is the most bizarre or have we missed an unusual red card?
