Sending off after 48 seconds: Seko Fofana provokes one of the fastest red cards in Ligue 1 history

It took less than a minute for Seko Fofana to make his presence felt in Stade Rennais’ Ligue 1 clash with Lens on Sunday evening.

The Ivorian midfielder drove forward from deep in the opening moments at Roazhon Park, bursting past the halfway line and heading directly towards goal. With Seko Fofana through on the break, Lens defender Jonathan Gradit had little choice but to bring him down – a desperate foul that left referee Bastien Dechepy with no hesitation.

😲🟥 C’EST DINGUE ! MOINS D’UNE MINUTE DE JEU ET DEJA ROUGE POUR GRADIT !https://t.co/6vnfDZy8ZE pic.twitter.com/3JE8WlDnRu

— RMC Sport (@RMCsport) September 28, 2025

Just 48 seconds into the match, Dechepy brandished a straight red card, sending Gradit off without even consulting VAR.

The dismissal etched Gradit’s name into Ligue 1 history as only the fourth player this century to be shown a red card inside the first minute of a match. He joins Maxime Spano (2014), Benjamin Lokomot (2015) and Jean-Clair Todibo (2022) in that unwanted list.

Despite the early sending-off, the game ultimately finished in a goalless draw.

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