Club Brugge: Abakar Sylla loses his head

Abakar Sylla had a nightmare Sunday. Club Brugge lost 1-3 to Genk, and the defender had an afternoon to forget. First he was at fault for conceding a needless corner in the build-up to Genk's equaliser (24th minute), and then the Ivorian completely unravelled. He committed a nasty foul on Paintsil, who was breaking away on the counter (39th minute). Everyone expected a straight red, but the referee was lenient and showed "only" a yellow card. It was merely a stay of execution.

Just after the 70th minute, Abakar Sylla left his hand trailing across the face of Paul Onuachu. After the referee blew his whistle, the Ivory Coast international flew into a blind rage. He gesticulated wildly and hurled the ball away. He was fairly shown a second yellow card, meaning his dismissal. The 20-year-old then refused to leave the pitch. Several of his own team-mates had to step in to escort him off.

https://twitter.com/RichBoat_01/status/1612089992658169856

"He's a young player..."

However, Abakar Sylla did not stop there. The Ivorian defender smashed a door on his way to the dressing room. "I've already spoken to him (...). He's a young player with a lot of potential, but sometimes these young players make mistakes. He went over the top today. I was a lad like that once. It was a stupid decision on his part, but we will support him. I want my players to play with raw emotion. You balance on the edge, but now Abakar has crossed a line. He made a mistake by kicking the ball," said his manager Scott Parker after the match.

While his coach seems to put this flash of temper down to youth, Abakar Sylla is facing a lengthy suspension.