Newcastle United’s Fabian Schar Sent Off for Headbutt in Chaotic Match Against Southampton

Newcastle United centre back Fabian Schar’s first game of the season was cut short after he was sent off for a headbutt on Southampton’s Ben Brereton Diaz, sparking chaos on the pitch and in the tunnel.

Schar, 32, was shoved to the ground from behind and reacted angrily, pushing Diaz and then putting his forehead forward, prompting the Saints star to theatrically fall to the ground.

As a large group of players quickly surrounded the scene, Brereton Diaz continued to writhe around on the ground, while Newcastle defender Dan Burn attempted to lift him up. Goalkeeper Nick Pope and Southampton centre forward Adam Armstrong also intervened in the melee.

Despite a VAR check, Newcastle were reduced to 10 men, putting their start to the season under threat. A statement confirmed that the referee issued a red card to Schar for violent conduct, which was upheld by VAR.

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer responded to the incident, calling it “ultimate s***housery” and criticizing Schar for his actions.

The centre-back now faces a three-match ban, leaving manager Eddie Howe scrambling for reinforcements at the back. The incident comes at a particularly bad time for Newcastle, who are currently in negotiations with Crystal Palace for defender Marc Guehi.

Reports suggest that Palace are set to reject an initial £60million offer from Newcastle, with the club demanding a minimum of £65million for the England international.

Despite the chaos, Newcastle managed to take the lead against Southampton through Joelinton’s goal on the stroke of half time. The Brazilian striker capitalized on a mistake by Saints keeper Alex McCarthy, who passed the ball directly to Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, who then set up Joelinton for the goal.

The match was not without its drama, with players from both teams clashing in the St James’s Park tunnel at half time, although the incident was quickly defused.

Magpies players, including Bruno Guimaraes, were left fuming after Craig Pawson sent off their centre-back, with Newcastle now facing a tough road ahead without Schar.