No card for Maynor Figueroa for horror tackle?
If the now infamous Ashley Barnes tackle on Nemanja Matic was deemed criminal by Jose Mourinho, what do you call Maynor Figueroa’s challenge on Stephen Ireland last weekend?
The Irishman required 15 stitches but no card was shown to the Hull City player during a Premiership match against Stoke City, despite the assistant referee being in plain sight of the coming together.
TV pundits covering the game suggested that the tackle could have been retribution for the Stoke midfielder’s earlier challenge on David Meyler.
Seething Potters manager Mark Hughes said after the match: “The assistant referee was 10 yards away.
“I would imagine when the report goes through, he’ll say something like, ‘Well I saw it and didn’t deem it to be worthy of a sending-off’, which will be an absolute joke.
“I don’t know what intention the lad had. It might be mistimed, but when you are a player, you still have to protect your fellow professional.
“But I don’t think he did at any point. It was a shocking challenge. It could have finished Ireland’s career. Why it was not a straight red, I have no idea.”
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