Sunday, October 17, 2021 at 09:35• Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk • Last update: 09:44

Luiz Felipe was inconsolable on Saturday after the final whistle of the match between Lazio and Internazionale (3-1) in the Serie A. The Lazio defender jumped on the shoulders of his good friend and former teammate Joaquin Correa, who last summer took the step from Lazio to Inter. However, the attacker of the losing side was shocked, did not know who he was dealing with and annoyed his ‘assailant’ from him. Referee Massimiliano Irarti saw the moment and pulled a red card for Luiz Felipe, who couldn’t believe his eyes.

In Irarti’s view, Luiz Felipe was guilty of ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’, as it became clear from the referee’s report. The Brazilian tried to convince the leader that it was a joke between two friends, but that fell on deaf ears because the referee saw how much Correa was not served. Tears then streamed down Luiz Felipe’s cheeks and he had to be comforted by his teammates.

???????? Lo más insólito del día: Luiz Felipe, que es amigo y excompañero de Joaquín Correa, no tuvo mejor idea que colgarse del Tucu apenas terminó el partido a modo de “saludo”. Al argentino no le gusto nada y el brasileño se fue expulsado por la accion.pic.twitter.com/qtRFdwIXsV

— Ovacion24 (@ovacion24) October 17, 2021

Luiz Felipe’s red card is a hard blow for trainer Massimiliano Sarri, who was unable to use the suspended Francesco Acerbi on Saturday. The defender is serving a two-game suspension after insulting the referee in the 3-0 defeat at Bologna. If Luiz Felipe’s red card is maintained, Sarri must miss not one but two defenders next Sunday at Hellas Verona.

“Luiz Felipe told me that he just wanted to say ‘hello’ to Correa because they are good friends and have played together for a long time,” the Lazio coach said afterwards. “It was probably a big misunderstanding. Acerbi was banned for two games for harassing behavior without even pointing a finger. So I’m not surprised that this was a red card. Felipe Anderson was physically attacked after his 2-1, so I expected it to rain red cards…”

Felipe Anderson made the 2-1 from a rebound, while Inter midfielder Federico Dimarco was injured on the field. It must be said that Inter first completed an attack themselves, but the alleged unsportsmanship of Lazio bothered the players of Inter. Denzel Dumfries deliberately bumped into the goalscorer, after which emotions ran high. Irarti drew four yellow cards, including one for the Dutchman. Even before the final whistle, the eighth and ninth yellow cards fell, after which the leader also allegedly drew a red card for Luiz Felipe after the final whistle.

Luiz Felipe .’s response
“I’d like to say something about what happened,” Luiz Felipe wrote on Instagram. “First of all I want to make it clear that I have a lot of respect for Inter or for any other club. We are all professionals and we would never fail to respect another professional. At the end of the game I jumped up Tucus shoulders because he is one of the great friends football has given me.”

“Our families are friends and we have always been very close. There I wanted to hug him and joke about the result, but I got excited.” Luiz Felipe is disappointed with his action. “I apologize to anyone who has been offended and I clarify that I have not tried in any way to be disrespectful to Correa, to other players or to Inter fans.”