UECL:Club Brugge Coach Backs Onyedika After Red Card Against Fiorentina
Club Brugge manager, Nicky Hayen, defended Raphael Onyedika after the midfielder was sent off in Thursday night's UEFA Europa Conference League match against the Italian club Fiorentina.
The home team capitalized on their numerical advantage to defeat Hayen's side 3-2 in the first leg of the semi-final tie.
Onyedika was initially booked for a rough tackle in the 58th minute.
The Nigerian international was sent off three minutes later after receiving his second yellow card of the match.
The 23-year-old will now miss the second leg at the Jay Breydelstadion next Thursday.
“The player himself (Onyedika) didn't realize he already had a yellow card, and you could tell by his reaction that he was surprised,” Hayen told the club's official website.
“He didn't know he already had a yellow card, and I will defend him for that. He is usually quite smart about these things, otherwise he wouldn't have made such a tackle.
"This incident reflects the team's aggressive spirit, showing that we don't want to give anything away. That's why I say it was unfortunate.”
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