‘Clear and easy to justify’ – Carlos Baleba told why he was sent-off at Bournemouth by ex-referee.
Latest reaction to Carlos Belaba’s red card at Bournemouth
Carlos Baleba should not have been sent-off at Bournemouth, says ex-Premier League referee Jeff Winter.
Brighton secured three points with a 2-1 win at the Vitality Stadium thanks to goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro.
Albion though had a nervier than expected finish after Baleba’s second yellow card for a tackle on Milos Kerkez in the 59th minute.
Winter, speaking to Grosvenor Casinos, said: “The first booking for Baleba was straightforward. It’s one of those cynical fouls where the commentators will say, ‘He took one for the team.’
“If there’s any criticism of Baleba, it’s that when you’ve already been cautioned, you need to be very, very careful. But the second yellow was harsh. Not every free kick warrants a caution, and for a second yellow, it has to be more than just a foul. It has to be either persistent misconduct—several offences after being booked—or a challenge that’s clear and easy to justify”.
“In this case, you could argue it wasn’t even a foul. The referee should speak to the player and warn him. But for me, it was never a red card.”
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler added: “It can’t be a second yellow card. Hopefully the referee will look at this and make a decision and they take back the yellow card because honestly that’s never a yellow card.
“It was not our best football game, but when we see it from a different perspective, we really worked hard. We stick together, we stick to our defensive principles and we suffered together.”
Baleba could now miss Brighton’s next match against Southampton at the Amex this Friday although the club do plan to appeal.
