Former Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has been handed a four-match ban following an incident in which he slapped an opponent and confronted the referee. The 36-year-old was shown a straight red card during Racing Club's 2-0 defeat to River Plate in Argentina's Liga Profesional on Sunday.
Rojo struck River Plate's Lucas Martinez Quarta in the face during a corner, prompting referee Sebastian Zunino to issue a red card after a VAR review. The Argentine then directed a barrage of abuse at the official, leading to the extended suspension.
The ban could mark the end of Rojo's time at Racing Club, as his contract expires in June. He has now been sent off twice in 15 appearances since joining from Boca Juniors last summer. Rojo had already been booked earlier in the match.
Rojo's aggressive style was familiar to Manchester United fans, though he was never sent off during his six-and-a-half-year spell at Old Trafford. Former teammate Luke Shaw once joked that players avoided him in training due to his studs-up challenges. Rojo helped United win the FA Cup, League Cup, and Europa League before leaving in 2021.
In 2023, Rojo criticised former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, claiming he was overlooked for Harry Maguire due to the latter's £80m price tag. Rojo said he told Solskjaer that Maguire was making 'huge mistakes every Sunday'.
