Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has come to the defence of Rico Lewis after the young defender was sent off during their FIFA Club World Cup opener, describing the decision as “unnecessary.”
The 20-year-old England international was shown a red card in the 88th minute of City’s 2-0 victory over Moroccan champions Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia. The incident occurred when Lewis, having won the ball with a sliding challenge on Samuel Obeng, inadvertently caught the forward in the face with his boot on the follow-through.
Despite Lewis’s protests, the red card was upheld following a VAR review, meaning he will miss City’s next match against UAE side Al Ain in Atlanta on Monday (BST 02:00).
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Guardiola expressed frustration with the call and revealed he spoke directly with Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti after the match.
“He thought the leg was a bit high, but Rico was on the ground and clearly touched the ball,” Guardiola said. “Given the speed of the challenge, there was absolutely no intention to harm anyone. Rico isn’t that kind of player.”
He added: “The red card was unnecessary, honestly, but the referee had a different view, and he’s the one in charge. VAR confirmed it, so we have to accept the decision.”
City secured the win thanks to first-half goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku, taking control of Group G against the 22-time Moroccan champions.
