According to the Times’ Northern Sport Correspondent Martin Hardy, Fabian Schar has confirmed that he was not spat at by Rodrigo in Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat to Leeds United tonight.
Hardy made the revelation on his twitter account, while it’s not verified it’s clear it is his official account as referenced by the Times’ official website.
We didn’t doubt that at all but decided to provide evidence considering the nature of the allegations.
Rodrigo found himself the talk of social media on a night in which he bagged an assist for the wrong reasons as some video footage was unfortunately twisted against the ace.
The Spain international was involved in a heated clash with Schar following a challenge which left the Swiss ace collapsing to the floor.
Rodrigo was not pleased with Schar going to ground after the duel and crouched down to shout in the ace’s face – as documented in the piece linked above, this led many to claim a spit had occurred.
In that piece the reaction from Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa and Newcastle manager Steve Bruce is also outlined, with the fact that neither had heard about the incident a solid indicator that nothing happened.
Thanks to Hardy, we now know for sure.
Nufc better but still lose. Schar confirms he wasn’t spat at.
Match report to follow @TimesSport— Martin Hardy (@mhardysport) January 26, 2021
This ordeal is a stark reminder of how accusations of gross misconduct on the pitch can easily be fabricated, with this incident sparking massive reaction on social media and now requiring official comment to shut it down.