Kylian Mbappe limps off in French Cup final after horror tackle from Saint-Etienne’s Loic Perrin that prompted mass brawl, led to SIX yellow cards and saw veteran defender sent off as PSG star now faces race to be fit for Champions League campaign
- PSG and Saint-Etienne players came to blows in the Coupe de France final
- Loic Perrin trapped Kylian Mbappe’s ankle under his knee in a shocking foul
- Perrin was given a yellow card that was upgraded to a red following VAR checks
- The foul promoted a 22-man brawl that started with a shove from Jessy Moulin
- Referee Amaury Delerue also handed out six yellow cards following the fight
PSG and Saint-Etienne players came to blows after Loic Perrin hacked down Kylian Mbappe as they battle it out for the Coupe de France trophy.
Mbappe limped off the pitch after a terrible challenge that could see him miss out on the Champions League next month.
Perrin mistakenly lunged in, trapping Mbappe’s ankle under his knee after 31 minutes of the final.
PSG and Saint-Etienne players came to blows after Loic Perrin hacked down Kylian Mbappe
The Saint-Etienne captain was a shown a yellow card for the foul, but players were quick to take matters into their own hands.
Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Jessy Moulin instigated the fight, running a total of 25 yards to push Marquinhos. As a result players from both sides flew in from both angles to support their team-mates.
Social distancing policies were clearly scrapped as players pushed and shoved each other all over the pitch.
The foul promoted a 22-man brawl that started with a shove from Saint-Etienne’s Jessy Moulin
Referee Amaury Delerue handed out six yellow cards and upgraded Perrin’s card to a red
With tensions rising, referee Amaury Delerue took action and booked a total of six players.
Saint-Etienne striker Romain Hamouma was booked for his involvement in the brawl, as were PSG duo Mitchel Bakker and Leandro Paredes.
While Marco Verrati was carded from the bench for dissent after protesting to the referee.
The red card sees him end his 470th and final game for the club by walking down the tunnel
Delerue also upgraded Perrin’s initial yellow card to a red after looking at VAR – leaving St Etienne are down to 10 men.
The decision sees the veteran captain ending his 470th and final game for the club by walking down the tunnel.
Meanwhile Mbappe, who appeared to be in tears while limping off the pitch, was swapped out for substitute Mauro Icardi.
A significant loss for PSG as Mbappe had earlier played a vital role in PSG’s opening goal. His initial shot fell to Neymar, who pounced on the rebound to finish it off from close range.
Though the severity of Mbappe’s injury is yet to be known, his participation in both PSG’s remaining fixtures and the Champions League could be in doubt.
The Frenchman was seen reemerging from the tunnel on crutches to avoid any weight-bearing through his ankle.
Any hope that Manager Thomas Tuchel had after Mbappe was able to hobble off the pitch may be quickly diminishing.
The fixture was France’s first major game following the coronavirus crisis and even allowed 5,000 fans into the national stadium.
Mbappe could be out of action for next months Champions League following the tackle