Toure banned for final Champions League group match after cynical chop
Yaya Toure will miss Manchester City’s final Champions League group match following a scything challenge which earned a yellow card during the dying embers of their 4-2 victory over Viktoria Plzen.The midfielder chopped down Roman Hubnik in the 92nd minute to pick up the booking which means he will serve his one-match suspension before the knockout stages begin.
Toure had only entered the action in the 65th minute with the score at 1-1 and he made an immediate impact, helping to lay on City’s second for Samir Nasri.
Chopped: Yaya Toure scythes down Viktoria Plzen's Roman Hubnik to pick up a yellow card and one-game ban
Really? The referee is left with no choice but to caution the Manchester City midfielder
Yellow: Firat Aydinus shows the card which means Toure will miss the final group match against Bayern Munich
The hosts eventually ran out comfortable victors but Bayern Munich’s win over CSKA Moscow maintained their hold at the top of Group D.
It means City will have to win and score at least three goals in Munich to advance as group winners.
They will travel to Bavaria for the fixture minus Toure, but he will be free of his ban and all bookings when the round of 16 kicks off in February.
So was Toure’s a canny caution? He certainly wouldn’t be the first player to enter the referee’s notebook in a Machiavellian manner. Sportsmail investigates…
David Beckham – England v Wales, 2004
It was during a World Cup qualifier against Wales that the England captain, knowing he would miss the following game because of a rib injury, took the decision to collect a caution.
Smart move? David Beckham later claimed he had
been 'clever' in picking up the booking against Wales which meant he
would serve a one-game ban while injured
Beckham cleaned up his disciplinary record with a foul on Ben Thatcher late in the game and later declared: ‘I'm sure some people thought I did not have the brains to be that clever but I do have the brains to be that clever.
‘When I realised I had picked up an injury that would keep me out of the game against Azerbaijan I thought, “Let's get the yellow card out of the way”.’
Beckham, though, was widely criticised for his action and was forced to issue an apology.
‘In an interview I was asked a question and made a frank and honest admission to counter the negative speculation,’ he said.
Smash: Beckham hurt his ribs in a clash with Ben Thatcher and was later booked for a foul on the same player
‘I now know that was wrong and apologise to the Football Association, the England manager, my team-mates and all England fans for this.
‘I know that as captain you are in a privileged position and must always abide by FIFA's code of fair play, something which I have always done throughout my career.
‘On this occasion I made a mistake.’
John Terry – Chelsea v Wolves, 2011
Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas was forced to defend his captain following the 90th-minute booking which ensured his ban would be served in the Carling Cup rather than Premier League.
Time-waster: John Terry was booked when he dallied over a throw-in playing for Chelsea against Wolves
Terry was cautioned for time wasting with Chelsea cruising to a 3-0 victory. He took an age to take a throw-in and was duly shown yellow by referee Lee Mason.
Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos – Ajax v Real Madrid, 2010
With a place in the knockout stage already assured with a game to spare, Jose Mourinho was accused of deliberately instructing his players to clean their record.
In the penultimate match and with Madrid leading 4-0 against Ajax, Alonso dallied over a free-kick and Ramos a goal-kick, both players incurring second yellow cards and a suspension for the irrelevant final group match against Auxerre.
Off you go: Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos is dismissed against Ajax
Seeing red: Xabi Alonso (left) was also given his marching orders
It was alleged that Mourinho had told substitute goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek to relay a message via Iker Casillas that his players should get themselves sent off.
Moruninho was subsequently hit with a one-match ban and was also fined €40,000 (£33,473).
Alonso and Ramos were fined €20,000 (£16,738) each, Casillas was fined €10,000 (£8,370) and Dudek €5,000 (£4,185).
Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos – Real Madrid v Galatasaray, 2013
The Spain duo were at it again three seasons later when accused of collecting dubious bookings in a quarter-final clash.
At it again? Ramos was accused of picking up a deliberate booking against Galatasaray last season
Madrid were 3-0 up in the first leg against Galatasaray when Alonso was booked for back-chat in the 84th minute and Ramos for kicking the ball away in added time.
Andres Iniesta – Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk, 2011
Officials during this quarter-final alleged that Iniesta deliberately got himself booked in a bid to serve his ban before the semi-finals of the competition.
The Spain midfielder failed to retreat the full distance from a free-kick and was flashed a yellow card.
The case was put before UEFA and Iniesta escaped sanction and was free to play against Real Madrid in the last-four stage, Barca eventually lifting the trophy following victory over Manchester United at Wembley.
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