FORMER Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson escaped punishment after sparking a brawl in a heated match between Al-Ettifaq and Al-Nassr.
After Al-Nassr forward Otavio was tripped by Ali Hazazi, Henderson forcefully backed-up his Al-Ettifaq team-mate.
The ex-Liverpool captain shoved Otavio twice before the referee intervened.
Cristiano Ronaldo was among the crowd of players as the brawl escalated in the 89th minute.
But it eventually calmed down after Hazazi was sent off.
Al-Nassr were already down to 10 men at that point following Talisca’s dismissal at the end of the first half.
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And the Riyadh-based side went on to win the match 1-0 in added time thanks to Sadio Mane’s dramatic late goal.
Al-Nassr will now advance to the quarter-finals of the Kings Cup after extending their unbeaten streak to 15 games.
Henderson, who escaped a red card despite sparking the brawl during the match, joined Al-Ettifaq in a £12million transfer from Liverpool in July.
The midfielder was heavily criticised by the LGBTQ+ community for making the move.
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And he was booed by England fans during a match against Australia at Wembley Stadium.
However, Gareth Southgate was quick to defend him.
The England boss said: “I really don’t understand it – he is a player, I think it is 79 caps now for England.
“His commitment and what he has done for England is exceptional.
“His role on and off the pitch is phenomenally important.
“So yeah some people decided to boo but I really don’t understand what that is for.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
