Barcelona’s Clement Lenglet was controversially shown a straight red card on his full La Liga debut for the Blaugrana in the 35th minute of their match against Girona this evening.
Lenglet was show a straight red after the referee consulted VAR showing that Lenglet appeared to connect with Girona’s Pere Pons
After the referee consulted VAR Lenglet was shown a straight red card after the footage appeared to show Lenglet’s left elbow strike Girona’s Pere Pons in the face.
Check out the controversial red card below:
OUCH. @clement_lenglet is OFF for this challenge, and it's game on at the Camp Nou.#BarcaGirona #LaLiga #PureFootball
Subscribe here – https://t.co/YbI6T6O8MU pic.twitter.com/aNC12RBji5
— ELEVEN Football (@ElevenSportsFB) September 23, 2018
See More: Video: Barcelona summer signing assists Lionel Messi against Girona on his first start for the club
Fans reacted to the controversial sending off on Twitter:
Lenglet's really good but the poor bastard's Barcelona career thus far consists of getting nutmegged loads by Sevilla and now getting sent off for being fouled. not a good start.
— Muhammad Butt (@muhammadbutt) September 23, 2018
Lenglet get’s fouled and even though he gave an elbow, it was never intended. And that’s what it should be about: was it intended or not? No it wasn’t. Not a red card.
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) September 23, 2018
34' Lenglet has wrongfully been sent off.
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 23, 2018
If that elbow comes up naturally from Lenglet in an off-the-ball incident, then fine, give a red card. But to assume it's intention after he's just been fouled badly and is falling to the group as his arm flails – that's a very harsh decision.
— TalkFCB © (@talkfcb_) September 23, 2018
What an absolute joke.
Was a fantastic challenge by Lenglet, Pons fouled him!
How on earth did he intentionally elbow him?
— total Barça (@totalBarca) September 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/FCMaha/status/1043944450991493121
Big jeers for the officials at half-time from the Camp Nou crowd. VAR is great, but it was not applied correctly in that instance. Slow motion can distort everything and Lenglet was unlucky to see red. Common sense needed.
— Ben Hayward (@bghayward) September 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/fiazhamzath/status/1043944082593050624
Lenglet may well have been unlucky to have been sent off for the challenge and a red card coming on his full La Liga debut will certainly make tonight a day to forget for the former Sevilla man.
French centre-back Lenglet joined Barcelona from Sevilla this summer for a fee understood to be £32m according to BBC Sport.