The Brazilian teenager showed his age at the Stade de la Beaujoire.
Real Madrid loanee Endrick saw red in Lyon’s 1-0 win over Nantes on Saturday, staining an otherwise near-perfect start to his time in France.
The striker, who tallied seven goal contributions in his first five appearances with the Ligue 1 side, lost his cool after being impeded by Nantes midfielder Dehmaine Tabibou while chasing after the ball. Endrick kicked out at his marker and was immediately shown a yellow card.
Already sitting in the referee’s book, the teenager saw his time on the pitch end in the 61st minute. To make matters worse, a VAR review determined the offense was a straight red card, promising a worse suspension for Endrick just when he was catching fire at his new club.
Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca did not hold back his criticism of the referee’s decision to upgrade Endrick’s punishment to a straight red card. He also pointed out a trend he’s seen in recent matches when it comes to teams targeting the young Brazilian.
“For me, it was very harsh, very harsh. There was a foul before which was very clear. The Nantes player did not intend to play the ball, he intended to block Endrick,” Fonseca said.
“The second thing I want to say is that this is the third match where the opponents have started the game with a lot of aggression towards Endrick. I thought these things were a thing of the past, but the intention was clear. They really intended to intimidate Endrick. The referees must protect the talent of a player like Endrick.”
In his limited appearances for Real Madrid, Endrick was often singled out on the pitch by the opposition’s defense. The striker’s small frame made him an easy target, especially when he was not used to the physicality of La Liga. Combined with his inexperience and short fuse, Endrick found himself on the brink of trouble, both on and off the ball.
The good news for Los Blancos, though, is that the 19-year-old can use his time in France to learn how to best combat and rise above such antics, and hopefully return to the Bernabéu with a more mature and composed outlook on the game, as well as a greater toolkit to best pesky defenders who are bigger and more physical than him.
Despite being heralded as the “next Pelé” ahead of his move to the Spanish capital, Endrick’s early days in a white shirt were marred by injury, inconsistent minutes and a lack of trust from both Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso. Suddenly, what was supposed to be the team’s next Brazilian wonderkid was looking more and more like a failed transfer along the likes of Reinier Jesus.
Yet Endrick’s sensational start to his time at Lyon reminded the club and the fans why they valued the No. 9 so highly. In fact, the Spanish giants already have every intention of bringing him back to the Bernabéu this summer and getting him more involved next season, per AS.
There is even some internal “regret about his departure,” given how well he’s performed at Lyon. With so many injuries wreaking havoc on Real Madrid, having Endrick available to lead the line or provide a spark off the bench could have been a major asset to a team relying so heavily on Kylian Mbappé to score enough goals to secure three points.
The 15-time European champions must live with their decision to part ways with Endrick, though, and instead focus on the long-term benefits of his loan stint.
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