The match between Ajaccio and Montpellier in the 8th round of Ligue 1 ended in a 1-1 draw, and both teams played with 10 players each for more than an hour.
The first sending off occurred in the 10th minute when Claude Gonçalves was shown a red card for stopping the ball with his hand on the goal line. Despite being outnumbered, Ajaccio managed to equalize with a goal from Ronald Zubar.
However, just two minutes later, Yassine Djebbour received a second yellow card, reducing Montpellier to 10 players as well. The coach, Jean Fernandez, expressed frustration and criticized Djebbour for his actions: “I suspected that we would end up ten against ten. If my anger is towards Djebbour? Yes, he was naive about the action. With more experience…” Fernandez stated after the match.
Montpellier has a history of expulsions, and with 33 red cards since the club’s return to Ligue 1 in 2009-2010, they hold a European record in this regard. The match reflected the challenges both teams faced due to the early sendings off, ultimately resulting in a draw.
