“Embarrassment to football.”
Leeds United beat Newcastle United tonight in the b-list United derby. Raphinha and Jack Harrison both scored lovely goals, but the biggest talking point of the game came when Rodrigo clashed with Newcastle defender Fabian Schär.
Schär was laying on the floor when the Leeds forward leant down to shout something unpleasant in his face. Some fans have claimed he spat, but there has been no evidence of this and Leeds based journalist Phil Hay has said his understanding of the event is that Rodrigo said something to rile his opponent.
Schär bounced to his feet upon hearing the undetermined insult, pushing his face into Rodrigo’s. We all know what happens next don’t we? Of course. Rodrigo goes down like he’s been shot, as is custom for pretty much every footballer in the game.
Neither player was sent off for their part in the fracas, but both were cautioned.
I can’t show you the video, for obvious reasons, but here are a series of screenshots depicting what happened.
Schär is on the floor, holding his face. Rodrigo says something very unpleasant.
Schär is now up – can’t have been in that much pain – and challenging Rodrigo on said comment.
Schär is now pushing his face into Rodrigo’s face. You’re not allowed to do that.
Rodrigo is now falling to the ground.
Schär is now shouting at Rodrigo, on the ground, completing the circle of football shithousery.
Rodrigo was heavily criticised on Twitter for this, with one user calling him an “embarrassment to football.”
While another reacted by posting: “Hahahahahahahahahahahaha WHHAAAATTT IS THIS????”
Quite.
Most of the other discussion around it centred on whether Rodrigo spat or not. As far as we know, and Schär’s reaction would back this up, there was no spitting involved, just an unpleasant exchange of words and some good old fashioned simulation.
