Everton footballer Idrissa Gueye, the Senegal international midfielder, was recently sent off against Manchester United. Given that he punched his own teammate, Michael Keane, he probably deserves the red card. The event took place during the second half of the game, which ended with Everton holding on for a close 1-0 win. This dismissal saw Gueye become the first Premier League player to receive a red card for striking their own teammate. That would be the first time since Ricardo Fuller in 2008.
The confrontation escalated when Gueye slapped his hand against Keane’s face during the altercation on the field. Referee Tony Harrington considered it violent conduct and sent him off with a red card. Iliman Ndiaye responded the quickest to separate Gueye from Keane and prevent things from escalating. Everton had their work cut out when they were shown a second red card. They battled valiantly and managed to win with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scoring the winning goal in the 29th minute.
Incident Details and Reactions
As expected, Gueye’s actions ignited a firestorm of controversy among commentators and fans right from the start. Gary Neville, who provided co-commentary during the match, questioned the severity of Gueye’s actions and the appropriateness of the referee’s decision.
“How much venom was in that slap?” – Gary Neville
Neville went on to discuss the incident more in-depth, questioning if it was a red card. He stated, “He has been sent off for that. Was it a little slap or a proper whack?” He highlighted the ambiguity surrounding the situation, noting, “There is no doubt a hand comes out to the face but it didn’t look too much.”
The former Manchester United defender said that the referee should have done a better job protecting Rahm from the incident.
“Can you get the two of them together and say: ‘Hey can you behave yourselves?’ Just sort of manage the situation, rather than that’s the rulebook,” he remarked.
Roberto Martinez, Portugal’s head coach, defended the match official’s call. While condemning the slap and agreeing that it deserved punishment, he characterized Gueye’s actions as understandable.
“Clearly, it’s a misunderstanding; Gueye is trying to play the ball [to Keane], but it’s that reaction, the slap,” – Roberto Martinez.
Aftermath and Apology
After the match, Idrissa Gueye was penalized for his actions. In total, he received a three-match suspension as a result of his red card. The 34-year-old playmaker came to the forefront and held himself accountable. He made a written apology to Keane and he apologized to his teammates in the changing room.
“I want to apologise first to my team-mate Michael. I take full responsibility for my reaction,” – Idrissa Gueye.
Gueye took to social media shortly afterward too, putting out a statement regretting his actions on the pitch. His actions led to introspection about team culture and player conduct, as altercations between teammates are uncommon, but not unheard of.
Even in the face of Gueye’s dismissal, Everton were enjoying their win over Manchester United. West Ham manager David Moyes touched on the incident after in jest.
“If nothing happened, I don’t think anyone in the stadium would have been surprised,” he said.
Moyes was enthusiastic on the players’ passion on the pitch. In fact, he considers their conflicts with one another to be the most important aspect of their rivalry.
“I like my players fighting each other. I know it’s violent conduct, the referee explained it, I don’t agree with that,” Moyes stated. “I hope my players, when they lose the ball, they fight each other.”
Match Outcome
Everton took home an important three points from one of their top four competitors. They defended with such determination, playing with only ten men for the majority of the second half. In what turned out to be a very close and hard-fought match, Dewsbury-Hall’s first-half strike was enough to seal the points.
This remarkable incident is a sobering reminder of how quickly passions can boil over on the pitch. The way it’s being implemented can have damaging effects on the athletes involved. That’s why Gueye’s actions have garnered such attention — they’re an extreme rarity. They have larger impacts on team morale and discipline.
Leave a Reply