Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez was sent off for pulling the hair of Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin in their 2-1 loss at Old Trafford – with manager Michael Carrick calling it “one of the worst” decisions he has seen.
Martinez, 28, was shown a straight red by referee Paul Tierney and will now face a three-match suspension, although Carrick suggested afterwards the club could appeal against the decision.
The hosts were trailing 2-0 to Noah Okafor’s first-half double when the Argentine tried to stop Leeds striker Calvert-Lewin by holding his hairin an off-the-ball incident, after being caught in the face himself.
Tierney was instructed to review the incident on the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee (VAR) before sending off Martinez.
“After review, Manchester United 6 is guilty of pulling his hair – violent conduct. Final decision is red card,” Tierney announced to the stadium.
The Premier League Match Centre posted on X: “After VAR review, the referee issued a red card to Martinez for violent conduct.”
But Carrick was left fuming at the dismissal, saying: “That decision was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. He [Calvert-Lewin] can throw his arms in Licha’s [Martinez’s] face – and then he’s sent off. Shocking.
“I don’t even know what it looks like. It’s not a pull, it’s not a tug, it’s not aggressive. He touches it and he gets sent off.
“Worse of all, he gets sent to overturn it, a clear and obvious error. Shocking. He is off balance and grappling.
“We have got to be careful where the game is going. It is a shocking decision, absolutely shocking.”
‘I felt my hair get pulled’
Red Devils captain Bruno Fernandes declined to comment on the officials for fear of getting in trouble, but Calvert-Lewin insisted his hair was pulled.
He said: “I don’t know, I don’t make the rules. I felt my hair get pulled, told the ref, he makes the decisions. Unfortunate for [Martinez], whether he’s meant it or not. I hold no grudges.”
Leeds boss Daniel Farke said: “I was worried because we had such good momentum and sometimes such a situation can change the momentum.
“I would have preferred to play 11 v 11 but it is how it is. But in the end we won the game and I don’t complain.”
Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane and ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher sympathised with Carrick’s side.
Keane told Sky Sports: “I can see both sides. When you class this as violent conduct this seems really harsh. It is harsh but when looking at the laws you have to accept it.”
While Carragher added: “I think that is soft. He is going for the ball, trying to grab hold of something and he has got it for half a second… I don’t think any football fan, any player is thinking that is a red card.”
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: “Martinez looks perplexed and confused: ‘What have I done?’
“He’s pulled his hair and that results in a red card, nowadays. He knows what he’s doing there.”
Martinez was making his first Premier League start for United since a 1-1 draw against West Ham on 10 February, after recovering from a calf injury.
It is the second consecutive league game in which United have had a defender sent off, after Harry Maguire saw red in the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth before the international break.
“The after-effects could be serious,” said BBC Sport’s Manchester United reporter Simon Stone.
“Martinez will be banned for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea. Maguire is expecting to find out whether he is going to get an extra game suspension for his red card.
“If he does, 19-year-old Ayden Heaven and 20-year-old Leny Yoro will be Michael Carrick’s only fit central defenders at Stamford Bridge.”
What does the law say?
While hair pulling is not specifically mentioned in the Laws of the Game, it is categorised as ‘violent conduct’ as it cannot be considered as something you would legitimately do when challenging for the ball.
Everton‘s Michael Keane received a three-match suspension for pulling the hair of Wolves‘ Tolu Arokodare in a 1-1 draw in January.
“If you have longer hair, then there’s a fair chance you’ll get it pulled,” Everton manager David Moyes said at the time.
At the start of 2023-24, Tottenham‘s Cristian Romero wrongly escaped a VAR red card after pulling the hair of Chelsea‘s Marc Cucurella – that proved to be a reference point for the future.
Southampton’s Jack Stephens was dismissed for doing it to Cucurella, as was Paris St-Germain’s Joao Neves at last summer’s Club World Cup.
Then at the Women’s Euros, Germany’s Kathrin Hendrich looked shocked after she was sent off for pulling the hair of France’s Griedge Mbock.
And earlier this month, Arsenal‘s Katie McCabe avoided a red card for pulling Chelsea‘s Alyssa Thompson’s hair during their Women’s Champions League quarter-final exit.
