Sent off for elbow, Ethan Mbappé plunges LOSC into Champions League crisis

Ethan Mbappé went from best to worst in a single evening: after setting up Ayase Ueda’s opening goal in the 12th minute, the Lille attacking midfielder received a straight red card for an elbow to the face of Betis Sevilla defender Natan on Tuesday in the Champions League opener. LOSC, who led 2-1 at half-time, ultimately lost 1-2.

As Davide Ancelotti’s players collapsed, conceding two goals in five minutes after the interval, Mbappé cracked under frustration. Referee Georgi Kabakov, alerted by his video assistants, consulted the monitor before showing the red card — a first in the Lille player’s career — while also cautioning the Betis player.

At his post-match press conference, Ancelotti did not spare his player. “In football, there is a lot of frustration, we must manage our emotions. That’s something the team and Ethan paid for tonight. We need to work on that in training,” he said.

Criticism was even harsher in the media and on social networks. On L’Équipe du soir, former athlete Héloïse Kane was blunt: “It’s professional misconduct. It’s unforgivable.” Many observers pointed to a “cruel lack of experience and composure,” criticizing the player for undermining his team’s chances of a comeback, while others described his action as a “childish loss of control.”