What are the most outrageous and funny red cards? Here are five terrific examples.
Former Arsenal forward Gervinho was sent off for needlessly punching an opponent in Ivory Coast’s clash with Guinea at AFCON 2015 yesterday but have a look at this selection of ridiculous dismissals.
From non-league to European club competition and international matches – funny red cards happen at every level of football:
SENT OFF: Ashley Vickers rugby tackles a streaker
While the other participants in the game take a step back and wait for the stewards to get on with it, Dorchester Town player-manager Ashley Vickers rugby tackles a streaker in a mankini who entered the field of play during their game against Havant and Waterlooville.
Vickers is sent off for his troubles.
RED CARD: André Bikey pushes a paramedic
In the final moments of Cameroon’s semi-final victory over Africa Cup of Nations hosts Ghana, a medical team comes to the aid of Rigobert Song who has gone down in the penalty area.
Reacting angrily to how the staff are treating the injured player, Cameroon defender André Bikey pushes a paramedic.
He’s shown red card and misses the final.
SENT OFF: Samuel Inkoom removes his shirt while leaving pitch for substitution
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk’s Samuel Inkoom takes off his shirt as he wonders off the pitch to be substituted during a Ukrainian Premier League clash with Karpaty Lviv.
Inkoom is shown a second yellow card as he approaches the touchline and the substitution cannot be completed.
RED CARD: Yoav Ziv kicks boot at assistant referee
After his boot comes off in a tackle against Stoke City, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Yoav Ziv kicks it away in frustration.
The shoe hits the assistant referee, who flags for a foul before Ziv is sent off.
SENT OFF: Eden Hazard kicks a ball boy
Desperate to continue with the game, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard goes through a young Swansea City ball boy in an attempt to retrieve the ball.
After a discussion with the referee and some apologising by the Chelsea players, Hazard is eventually shown a red card.