Xavi Simons received a yellow card from referee Christian Dingert in injury time of the match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg (3-0) on Saturday due to an alleged foul. It was already the ninth yellow card for Simons this season, spread over 39 matches in all competitions. However, Marco Rose protects the attacking midfielder.

Simons went to the ground inside the sixteen in injury time of the meeting with Wolfsburg. Where the Dutch international hoped for a penalty, Dingert showed a yellow card. Wolfsburg coach Ralph Hasenhüttl thought that Simons was dropping and clearly showed this to the Dutchman on the side. Rose, however, has a very different opinion.

“Xavi is hit every week,” Rose sighed afterwards in conversation with Kicker. “And every time he gets up to speed, he is pulled. In ninety percent of the cases, Xavi tries to break free. In any case, he rarely gives up just like that. Even with a 3-0 lead just before the end he has the urge to show something else.”

In Rose's view, Simons was indeed hit in the Wolfsburg penalty area. “It was anything but a fluke and yet he received a yellow card,” grumbled the Leipzig coach. “You can say and think all kinds of things about Xavi, but above all he is a great player.”

“He is still young and therefore makes mistakes, but it is always said that he goes to the ground easily. But today fouls were committed against him again, so you can be happy that Xavi can continue playing. And that happens really every week, I mean that seriously,” said Rose.

Often yellow

On the other hand, Rose believes that Simons takes yellow too often in the Bundesliga. “He has already been booked eight times this season and that includes cards because he allowed himself to be upset,” the coach told Simons, who scored nine times and recorded fourteen assists for the East German club in all competitions.

Simons was not the only one who saw yellow. Rose also received a yellow card for defending his pupil in the final phase of the game against Wolfsburg. “I did that in too loud a way. And that was enough to get a yellow card.” Rose is suspended for next Saturday's away match against Heidenheim.

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