Ekitike issues statement after 'foolish' red card at Liverpool

Hugo Ekitike comments after receiving a 'foolish' red card in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup victory on the morning of September 24 (Vietnam time).

Hugo Ekitike expressed regret over his actions after receiving a second yellow card in Liverpool’s win against Southampton in the English League Cup. The French striker scored the decisive goal, securing a 2-1 victory for The Kop at Anfield. However, he complicated matters by taking off his shirt in celebration and holding it up to the Liverpool fans.

Previously, Ekitike had been booked for dissent, so removing his shirt led to a red card. This means he will be suspended for the upcoming away match against Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend. Despite being down to 10 men, Liverpool held firm and preserved their win against the Championship side. After the match, Ekitike quickly admitted his mistake and apologized.

On his personal social media, he wrote: “Tonight I got overly excited helping the team secure another win at our home, in my first Carabao Cup game. Emotions got the better of me. I apologize to the entire Reds family. Thanks to the fans for their constant support and to my teammates for achieving the victory together. #Reds.”

Coach Arne Slot gave a frank comment after the match: “It was unnecessary and really foolish. The first yellow was already unfair, and the second one even more foolish. You have to control your emotions. I understand the difficulty of playing as a number 9, because defenders can do almost anything, and you get fouled for the slightest touch. But showing your emotions in a way that leads to a card is always stupid.”

Captain Andy Robertson also advised the young teammate to learn from this: “I think he won’t repeat it. The excitement of scoring is understandable, but he forgot he already had a yellow card. Both cards were very silly, and now we’ll lose him on Saturday. However, Ekitike is young and will learn a lot. He scored an important goal, but the last 10 minutes were clearly much harder with only 10 men.”

This was a nightmare moment for Ekitike, despite his impressive start at Anfield with 5 goals in 8 games. His absence against Crystal Palace poses a headache for Coach Slot. It’s likely Liverpool will have to start their £125 million signing Alexander Isak, who also scored against Southampton, earlier than planned despite careful management of his fitness.

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Liverpool coach: ‘Ekitike’s actions were totally unnecessary and foolish’ Hugo Ekitike became the focus of criticism after receiving a red card for uncontrolled celebration against Southampton, with Coach Arne Slot admitting it was “foolish and unnecessary.” See more