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Former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was shown a straight red card for booting an opposition player in Besiktas’ Europa Conference League win over Lugano.
The Besiktas star secured a free transfer to the Turkish side in the summer following the expiration of his contract at Liverpool, but showed no signs of losing his competitive strike on Thursday.
Oxlade-Chamberlain harnessed his inner David Beckham in a moment of madness that saw him kick out at Lugano’s Renato Steffen in the closing minutes of the European encounter.
The 30-year-old then lashed out, firstly kicking Steffen’s inner thigh and then bringing his other boot down on top of the player’s left-leg.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was sent off for kicking out at Lugano’s Renato Steffen on Thursday
David Beckham was sent off for a similar challenge against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup
He then proceeded to wrap both arms around Steffen’s legs and rugby tackle him to the ground, with both then grappling with one another.
Quick comparisons were made with Beckham’s infamous red card when he was sent off against Argentina for a similar challenge on Diego Simeone in the 1998 World Cup.
Beckham kicked out while facedown in the turf and caught Simeone who theatrically collapsed to the ground. The former Man United and England winger was sent off as a result.
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A mass brawl ensued on the pitch as both sets of players reacted to the incident
He was subsequently made the poster-boy for England’s exit from the World Cup and Beckham later described it as ‘the most difficult time in his career’.
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s sending off resulted in a huge melee breaking out on the pitch at the Letzigrund stadium, with players and coaching staff involved.
He had to be held back by his team-mates from further interactions with Steffen as others tried to break-up the ensuing brawl.
Referee David Fuxman showed both Oxlade-Chamberlain and Steffen immediate red cards as a result, with both clearly unhappy as they exited the European encounter.
