Donnarumma’s WWE-esque Red Card Madness
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Paris Saint-Germain’s goalkeeper, faced an abrupt dismissal in the ninth minute during their recent Ligue 1 clash against Le Havre due to a reckless act.
The 24-year-old Italian, grappling with a recent dip in form, misjudged a long ball, clumsily colliding with Josue Casimir in what resembled a move akin to wrestling. Bastian Dechepy, with no alternative, promptly issued a red card, met by a mix of cheers and disbelief from the Stade Oceane crowd.
WHAT WAS THE GOALKEEPER THINKING? 🤯
Gianluigi Donnarumma is shown a STRAIGHT red for this moment of madness 🟥 pic.twitter.com/mIbP5XRAYN
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 3, 2023
Donnarumma contested the decision, but Dechepy remained resolute in his call. Arnau Tenas, recruited from Barcelona, stepped in for Bradley Barcola as PSG’s replacement goalkeeper. The incident can be witnessed in its entirety below.
The match commenced on a disastrous note for Luis Enrique’s team, further marred by Fabian Ruiz’s injury-enforced substitution for Manuel Ugarte.
However, despite being reduced to ten players, Kylian Mbappe managed to secure a lead just before the half-hour mark.
Donnarumma’s performance in the 2023/24 season has been fraught with difficulties. Criticism from the French press surfaced this week after his inability to handle Newcastle’s opening goal in their Champions League encounter at the Parc des Princes, resulting in a dismal 3/10 rating from Le Parisien. They held him “entirely responsible” for Alexander Isak’s goal.
Moreover, preceding this, AC Milan supporters directed disapproval at Donnarumma by tossing fake banknotes, terming him a “mercenary” and a “man without honor,” highlighting what they considered his betrayal. Some fans sported No. 71 shirts, symbolic of a “man with no values” in Neapolitan tradition.
What are your thoughts on Donnarumma’s mishap against Le Havre? Share in the comments below.
