Brugge striker Diagne dropped and fined for missing penalty
Senegalese forward Mbaye Diagne has been left out of Club Brugge's game at Royal Antwerp this weekend after insisting on taking a penalty against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. The 28-year-old prevented Brugge captain Hans Vanaken from taking the spot-kick with PSG leading 1-0 in the 76th minute on Wednesday, before seeing his effort saved by Keylor Navas as the Belgians went on to lose in Paris.
- Sports
- Reuters
- Published Date: 06:54 | 08 November 2019
- Modified Date: 06:54 | 08 November 2019
Club Brugge striker Mbaye Diagne has been fined and dropped after he missed a penalty that he was not supposed to take in the Belgian club's 1-0 Champions League defeat to Paris St Germain.
The striker got up off the turf after being fouled by Thiago Silva in the 74th minute at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday and took the kick himself, instead of designated penalty taker Hans Vanaken.
Yet his feeble effort was saved by PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
It effectively cost his side a valuable point, leaving them with just two points from four matches in Group A.
The 28-year-old Senegal international has been fined and left out of the squad for Sunday's Belgian league encounter at Antwerp and coach Philippe Clement said he had yet to decide whether Diagne would play for the club in the future.
"It was a dumb mistake. A mistake that had consequences for the result and we are all very cross about it," he told a news conference on Friday.
"This sort of incident leads to emotions and there was a confrontation in the changing room after, but it was verbal and not physical. Diagne realised he made a mistake and did not argue back."
Clement said a strong punishment was needed and that Diagne's future at the club would depend on his reaction in the coming weeks. He is on loan from Galatasaray.
"We have had disciplinary incidents at this club in the past and players have been given a second chance. It is now up to Diagne to show that he accepts and understands the norms and values of our club," the coach said.
"He can still have a future with us although it depends on what he shows in the coming weeks."
Clement also told reporters that it was wrong to criticise Vanaken for not insisting on taking the kick.
"Some have suggested he didn't want to accept the responsibility but he told Diagne not to take the kick," Clement said.
"But when he realised this was not going to happen, he did not want to get into an argument on the biggest stage in the world. I'm proud of the way Hans dealt with the situation," the coach added.