Ex-Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo was given his marching orders for booting a River Plate attacker in the head in Boca Juniors’ 1-0 win on Sunday.
The 32-year-old has been known for his hot-headedness since his return to native Argentina. Last year, he was filmed throwing a punch and picking up a fire extinguisher during a fight in the tunnel following the club’s Copa Libertadores exit.
And it seems the heat of the nation’s most fierce domestic derby got to him in the dying embers of this weekend’s tie. With 30 seconds of added time left to play, River Plate attacker Nicolas De la Cruz went up for a headed 50-50 ball.
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However, Rojo decided to lead with his studs and crashed them into his opponents' head, prompting referee Dario Herrera to show a straight red card. Rojo had no complaints about the decision and Boca managed to hold out for the win to move three points clear of their rivals.
Rojo played 112 times for United between 2014 and 2021 and lifted the 2016 FA Cup, 2017 League Cup and 2017 Europa League - the club’s last trophy. He was used as only a bit-part player for the last few years of his stay, playing just 27 times since the start of the 2017/18 campaign.
This culminated in a loan return to former club Estudiantes in Argentina in 2020 before his permanent exit to Boca Juniors in 2021. Rojo has hit the headlines numerous times since his homecoming.
In May, he was criticised for appearing to smoke a cigarette in the presence of his young family on the pitch after scoring in his club’s 3-0 Professional League Cup final win over Tigre, a trophy created in Diego Maradona’s memory.
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