David Beckham’s time in MLS was littered with yellow cards, a few reds here and there, and quite a few scuffles and public disagreements.
And yesterday that fiery streak surfaced in France as Beckham was sent off after being on the field for just SIX minutes as a second half substitute.
The English midfielder, 37, came on as a late sub during the 1-0 win at Evian but was shown a straight red for a lunging tackle in stoppage time.
Below you can watch the tackle which brought Beckham his first red card since 2009 with the LA Galaxy.
More of a feisty attempt than anything malicious, but it is worth noting that Evian’s Saber Khelifa and PSG’s Salvatore Sirigu were also sent off after the final whistle following a scuffle. While one of PSG’s assistant coaches — former French international, Real Madrid and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele — was sent off for remonstrating Beckham’s dismissal.
It’s not all bad news for Becks, as PSG teammates could secure the Ligue 1 title next weekend with a win against Valenciennes, if Marseille slip up against Bastia.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI5suVHxqKY?rel=0&w=420&h=315%5D
So was this out of malice, frustration or just a wrong decision by the ref? A mixture of all three for me.
Beckham has always had that bit of naughtiness, that extra bite in the tackle that sets apart the pros who ‘think’ they want to win and the pros that really ‘have’ to win. The sending off could’ve been down to Beckham’s frustration at not starting and criticism from some of the French media over his displays since joining PSG on loan for the remainder of the season.
More: Beckham set to play another year at Paris Saint-Germain
And finally, it was probably only a yellow card at worse. The referee got this one a little bit wrong and fell for the theatrical dive from Evian’s player.
Either way, Beckham’s bad boy reputation (if he has one) is growing. Maybe a return to Hollywood as villain in a blockbuster hit awaits further down the line?
