Rico Lewis Receives Extended Suspension Following Red Card in Club World Cup Match

Manchester City defender Rico Lewis has been banned for an additional two matches after his red card during the team’s opening game at the Club World Cup. The incident occurred in the 88th minute of City’s 2-0 victory over Wydad AC in Philadelphia, when Lewis was dismissed for an accidental foul.

Lewis had initially won the ball with a sliding tackle but unintentionally caught Samuel Obeng in the chin with his boot. The decision to send him off was made by Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti, despite City manager Pep Guardiola criticizing the action as unnecessary. Video footage from a VAR review confirmed the red card, which initially resulted in a one-match suspension upheld during the victory over Al Ain in Atlanta.

However, FIFA has deemed the foul serious enough to warrant extra punishment, and Lewis will now miss the upcoming crucial group stage fixture against Juventus, along with City’s subsequent Round of 16 match.

Rico Lewis was dismissed late in the game after he caught Samuel Obeng with his follow through

Guardiola expressed his disappointment, emphasizing that Lewis had no intent to hurt Obeng. The manager explained that the referee saw the incident differently, with additional review from VAR leading to the extended ban.

Pep Guardiola expressed his frustration and insisted there was no intent to hurt

Despite appealing the decision, City’s efforts were unsuccessful. Guardiola maintained that Lewis’s challenge was free of malicious intent, citing the speed and nature of the game as factors. He accepted the referee’s judgment, acknowledging that the red card was deemed unnecessary but final.

The City defender appeared to catch Obeng in the face