Richarlison Apologises To Thiago For Red Card Lunge
Everton striker Richarlison has issued a public apology to Liverpool’s Thiago Alcantara for the lunging tackle that earned him a red card in Saturday’s Merseyside derby.
A frenetic game between the league leaders and the champions ended 2-2, with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah’s leads for Liverpool cancelled out by Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Richarlison maintains he meant no malice in a challenge that earned him the 22nd red card in a Premier League game between Liverpool and Everton, and has apologised for his sending off.
Everyone who knows my background knows that I was never a violent player," Richarlison wrote in a statement issued on his official website.
"What happened today was an accident from sheer over-dedication. I did not enter that dispute with the intention of hurting Thiago.
"When I saw that the collision was going to happen, I picked up my foot and hit him with my knee, which was inevitable due to the speed of the play.
"I already sent a message to him apologising and I also do it here publicly. I hope he hasn't been hurt and that everything is fine.
"I also apologise to my team-mates, my club and my fans for leaving them with one less [player] at the end of the game. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to change what happened, other than to reflect, work and move on."
Richarlison is set to miss Everton’s next three games as a result of the dismissal.
