Waris, who plays for Lorient, was incensed by a tackle from the winger Jimmy Briand during the 2-2 draw which was not given as a foul by the referee. He reacted by launching into a kung fu-style kick on his opponent, which resulted in a straight red card.

“What happened on Saturday is strange, crazy,” Waris told Ouest France. “This is the first time in my life that I have got angry like that, on the pitch or off it. I still wonder how I could respond like that, although there were causes.

“The guy fouls me. He was not sanctioned and I have a bad reaction to severe tackles. I should not have done it but I had no intention of hurting him or to kill him. I just wanted to scare him.”

The Guardian, November 6, 2015, on the 6 match ban imposed on striker Majeed Waris.