On Wednesday, Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix's loan at Chelsea had been officially confirmed for the rest of the season, although there is no purchase option. They started him in the next day's match against Fulham.
Sadly, the 23-year-old's debut in the Premier League will be one he never forgets. His inaugurate match for the Blues was marred by a red card for a rash lunge on Cottagers defender Kenny Tete, despite an impressive start.
In response to the reckless high tackle, Chelsea were demoted to 10 men and eventually lost 2-1. The Portuguese international will sit out the next matches against Crystal Palace, Liverpool, and Fulham. A three-game ban for Felix would cost his new club €1.5 million, according to the terms of the loan agreement.
Which other stars have received a red card on their debuts?
Joao Felix has now joined the ranks of those players who have been sent off in their first game, like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. A little-known fact is that Lionel Messi's first game for Argentina's national team saw him earn marching orders. He was called up to the senior team by manager Jose Pekerman in 2005, for a friendly match against Hungary.
The then-Barcelona rising star was placed on the bench for the match since the starting lineup had several seasoned veterans. With La Albiceleste up 2-1 in the 64th minute, a young Lionel Messi was substituted in to ensure victory. He only played for a few minutes before being sent off two minutes later, ruining his maiden international debut.
In addition, to put it mildly, Luis Suarez's relationship with his national team has not been smooth. In reality, he has been doing things that get him sent off for a red card ever since he first played for his country. Such an example is the red card at the last whistle of his senior debut in an international friendly against Colombia ended the striker's first team adventure as an Uruguay player.
