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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Karl Rasmussen

Newcastle's Fabian Schär Sent Off After Questionable Red Card, Fans Were Livid

Southampton's Ben Brereton Diaz and Newcastle's Fabian Schar confront each other during English Premier League season opener.

The 2024–25 English Premier League campaign did not get off to the start that Newcastle center back Fabian Schar was hoping for.

The Magpies started the season at home against Southampton, looking to kick the campaign off with a strong showing. Tempers flared during the first half, most notably during a dust-up between Schar and Southampton's Ben Brereton Diaz.

As Schar attempted to play the ball safely back to his goalkeeper, Diaz recklessly challenged him from behind, barreling into his back and sending him to the ground. In an act of retaliation, Schar jumped up to his feet and got square into the face of Diaz. While face to face, Schar leaned forward and appeared to lightly headbutt his opponent, who did not hesitate to flop and sell the contact.

Although his acting job wasn't fooling anyone watching at home, it was more than enough to convince the referees of some foul play. Schar was issued a straight red card in the 28th minute, putting an early end to his first game of the season. As for Diaz, he was issued a yellow card for his involvement in the incident.

Have a look:

Soccer fans on social media were quick to voice their displeasure with the decision from the referee to expel Schar from the game. They also felt that Diaz should have received two yellow cards, and thus a red, one for his foul and one for simulation.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Newcastle's Fabian Schär Sent Off After Questionable Red Card, Fans Were Livid.

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