Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gets straight red for sparking huge brawl
Former Liverpool and Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was at the centre of a heated clash as Besiktas beat Lugano in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.
Late on in the game, Oxlade-Chamberlain reacted angrily to a poor challenge from Renato Steffen and sparked a furious ruckus that resulted in both players getting sent off. The incident occurred after the pair were battling for possession, with Steffen fouling Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The former England international then appeared to kick out at Steffen in response. Players from both sides immediately rushed over to keep Oxlade-Chamberlain and Steffen apart, with substitutes and backroom staff also running onto the pitch to get involved.
Once the situation died down, referee Pawel Raczkowski sent both players off. Besiktas ultimately won the game 2-0 thanks to goals from former Everton striker Cenk Tosun and defender Serkan Terzi.
However, neither side has advanced to the knockouts, with Club Brugge and Bodo/Glimt finishing above them in Group D. Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Besiktas over the summer, signing a three-year deal with the Turkish club after leaving Liverpool.
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In 21 appearances across all competitions, the 30-year-old has scored four goals and recently opened up about moving abroad for the first time in his career. "I've played for many years in England but over half the teams have always been made up of European guys or foreign guys from further afield," he told Sky Sports.
He appeared to kick out at Lugano's Renato Steffen after being fouled (TNT Sports)"So I feel like being in a dressing room with a lot of lads that aren't English has definitely helped me to come into a new country. There's no other English lads here, but there's a lot of guys that speak English.
"There was some part of me always that wanted to sort of experience football outside of the Premier League. That's obviously easier said than done because when you're playing in the Premier League, it's an amazing experience and a great place to be.
Players from both sides quickly got involved (TNT Sports)"When the opportunity came and my situation at the time, it was perfect timing for me. I was definitely open to it. I had played a few times in Turkey in the Champions League and the atmospheres were everything.
"It's always been really exceptional and that definitely drew me in as well. I knew I was coming somewhere where they really love football. The fanbase is big. It's an exciting place in its own to play football."
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