Guardiola Disappointed with Rico Lewis Red Card in Club World Cup

In a Club World Cup match six months ago, Pep Guardiola criticized the referee’s decision to show a red card to Rico Lewis as Manchester City defeated Wydad AC 2-0.

Goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku in the first half — secured a comfortable victory for City. However, the match ended on a negative note when Lewis was sent off in the 88th minute after a tackle on Samuel Obeng.

“Rico’s leg was a bit high, but he touched the ball first. With that speed, the leg has to be slightly high while the other player is low,” Guardiola explained after the match.

Obeng offered a different perspective on the incident. “I think the red card was fair because although unintentional, his boot touched my face after the action,” said the Wydad AC player.

In the same match, Rodri — recovering from knee ligament injury — played for 30 minutes, while new signings Tijani Reinders and Ryan Cherki made their debuts for City.