Czech captain Ladislav Krejčí received a red card during a 2-0 defeat against world champions Spain in Prague on Thursday marking his second expulsion against the same opponent in forty days.
The 27-year-old defender was sent off in the closing stages after pulling down Robert Fernández. Montenegrin referee Nikola Debanović initially issued a yellow card before a video review prompted him to change the decision, Denik reported.
“Jestli tohle není červená karta, tak končím se životem,” Spanish journalist Jonay Amaro remarked after the incident.
Krejčí had explicitly warned about disciplinary risks ahead of kickoff. “Na červenou kartu si určitě musíme dát pozor. A já obzvlášť,” he told reporters on the eve of the match.
Despite the pre-match caution, the defender struggled with his passing distribution and failed to track a sprint by Yeremy Pina early in the second half. That sequence ended with Pina beating goalkeeper Matěj Kovář, though a video review subsequently ruled out the effort for a tight offside.
Adam Hložek came closest for the home side in the 68th minute when his header struck the crossbar. “Takové zápasy potřebujete dohrávat v jedenácti,” Spain coach Santi Denia noted at the post-match press conference.
Spanish manager Luis de la Fuente stated after the final whistle that he immediately believed the challenge warranted a red card. Czech publicist Luděk Mádl pointed out that Krejčí became only the fourth player in the history of the independent Czech national team to collect more than one red card, joining Tomáš Řepka, Pavel Nedvěd, and Radoslav Látal.
Social media feeds across the Czech Republic, England, and Spain filled with criticism immediately following the challenge. Krejčí previously received a red card in October during a 1-2 defeat against Spain in Oviedo, as well as another in February while playing in England for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The suspension rules Krejčí out of the decisive UEFA Nations League fixture in Croatia. The Czech team will determine whether they avoid relegation from the elite tier or enter the relegation play-offs during Sunday’s matches.
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