Valencia boss Javier Aguirre has confirmed the club will appeal Harvey Elliott's controversial red card, leaving the Liverpool loanee facing a nervous wait over a potential ban. The 23-year-old was sent off in Valencia's 2-1 defeat to domestic rivals Villarreal over the weekend after receiving two bookable offences in the closing stages.
Elliott's first booking came after a cheap foul, while the referee then showed another card for apparent dissent. Aguirre criticised the decision in the aftermath, saying it was "an absurd, ridiculous sending-off."
Aguirre's frustration and appeal plans
Speaking in a press conference, the former Mexico boss said: "It's an absurd, ridiculous sending-off. I don't know what he could have said to the referee, he barely speaks Spanish, so getting sent off for something he said just makes me angry. It's a ridiculous dismissal, and I told him as much."
Aguirre added: "It's not his fault; the fault is mine, though I'll address it with him privately. Ultimately, the responsibility is mine, because I'm the one who decides who plays and how we play."
He confirmed Valencia are investigating whether they can appeal, saying: "Elliott's sending off is very difficult, very, very difficult. I even asked Voro if there was a way to appeal against the two yellow cards because you get one for lowering your hand and another for raising your hand. No. The guy doesn't speak Spanish. Imagine if he could, he insulted me. So, this all came out of it."
Elliott's apology and loan struggles
Elliott spoke out on his dismissal over the weekend and apologised, saying: "I would like to apologise to my team-mates and the incredible Valencia CF supporters for yesterday's sending-off. I made a mistake and I'm truly sorry. It won't happen again. Right now, I'm just focused on coming back, working even harder and helping the team get out of this situation as soon as possible. Thank you always for your support and support to us as players. Amunt Valencia."
Elliott joined Valencia in the summer on a season-long loan deal from Liverpool following a tricky season with Aston Villa. He has so far made six appearances for the Spanish side but has yet to start a game or contribute to a goal.
Valencia's upcoming fixtures
Valencia are next in action on Wednesday evening as they take on Tavernes in the first round of the Spanish Cup. Their next league game pits them against Elche in a match that already looks crucial to their hopes of staying up. Aguirre's men currently sit 19th in La Liga after just one win from their opening ten games.
