Relief for Endrick as red card downgraded by French disciplinary committee
The Brazilian wonderkid avoids lengthy suspension as his straight red against Nantes is reduced to a second yellow, meaning he'll miss just one match for Lyon.
Real Madrid loanee Endrick Felipe can breathe easy after what could have been a proper nightmare turned into just a minor blip in his Lyon adventure.
Storm in a teacup
The storm lasted mere days as the French league’s disciplinary committee has downgraded the straight red card Endrick received against Nantes to a second yellow. In plain English: what might have been an exemplary punishment has become minimal - just a one-match suspension.
The Brazilian wonderkid found himself in hot water after an incident that initially saw the referee brandish a straight red following VAR review. The footage was played on loop across French telly, threatening to slam the brakes on his spectacular recent form for Olympique Lyon. A potential two or three-match ban would have been a right kick in the teeth for a lad who’s finally finding his feet.
Common sense prevails
However, cooler heads prevailed during the review process. The LFP (French Professional Football League) concluded the incident didn’t warrant the maximum punishment and opted to reduce it to a second yellow card instead. This means:
- Endrick will serve just a one-match suspension
- He can quickly return to competitive action
- Lyon won’t lose their rising star for crucial upcoming fixtures
This comes as massive relief for the French side, who are continuing their climb up the table in pursuit of current frontrunners Lens and PSG.
Back in time for crucial fixtures
With the red card effectively nullified, Endrick will be available for Lyon’s clash with Strasbourg on February 22nd and, crucially, the vital match against fourth-placed Olympique Marseille on March 1st.
The referee, Mathieu Vernice, had initially shown Endrick a yellow card during the incident. However, after being called to review the footage on the VAR monitor, he upgraded it to a straight red - a decision that left many at the ground utterly gobsmacked.
For the Brazilian teenager who’s shown flashes of the brilliance that prompted Real Madrid to secure his signature, this reprieve couldn’t have come at a better time. The Lyon faithful will be chuffed to bits knowing their loan star will be back in the mix sooner rather than later.