Rare red card for Libyan midfielder in UEFA Champions League Playoffs

Photo Credit: AS Monaco/Facebook

In a UEFA Champions League playoff clash, AS Monaco suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Benfica, but the interesting moment of the night was the red card shown to Libyan midfielder Moatasem Al-Musrati.

The incident occurred in the 52nd minute when Benfica's Álvaro Carreras fouled Monaco forward Breel Embolo. Al-Musrati approached referee Maurizio Mariani, seemingly requesting a yellow card for Carreras.

In a rare decision, the referee booked Al-Musrati, issuing him a second yellow card and sending him off. What made the decision uncommon was that Al-Musrati did not display any signs of aggression.

The referee appeared not to approve his behaviour to request for disciplinary action against the Benfica player.

At the time of the red card, Monaco was trailing 1-0, a scoreline that remained unchanged until the final whistle. The only goal was scored in the second half by Vangelis Pavlidis in the 48th minute before the red card was shown to Al-Musrati.

After the match, Monaco head coach Adi Hütter commented on the referee’s decision, saying as reported by the club's official website:

"I think that the second yellow card given to Moatasem Al-Musrati was harsh because he wasn't aggressive. It's a difficult red, even if he shouldn't have made that gesture."

Al-Musrati, who joined Monaco on loan from Beşiktaş during the winter transfer window, was making only his second appearance for the club—and his first start.

Monaco will now head to Portugal for the second leg, scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2025, where they will play without their Libyan midfielder.