Ryan Babel is a yo-yo player – going from brilliant to absurd in an instant. He received his second ever red card yesterday for Kasimpasa.
Remember when Liverpool snapped up Ajax youngster Ryan Babel? The young forward was highly-rated across Europe and being pursued by several other parties.
In the end however it was Rafa Benitez who convinced him to join the Anfield club on an £11.5 million deal – signing a five-year contract with the club.
But Babel’s four-year spell at the club was mixed in terms of success. On occasions he demonstrated that quite terrifying natural ability in abundance – especially in Europe with notable displays against Besiktas, Marseille and Lyon.
But after injury niggles, fitness issues and Twitter rows Babel’s status at the club diminished rapidly. They rejected an offer from Birmingham City in 2010 but a year later they were willing to part company with the player and he signed for Bundesliga outfit TSG Hoffenheim for £7 million.
But again he failed to settle in Germany and just 18 months later he brought out the remainder of his contract in order to return home with boyhood outfit Ajax.
That was supposed to turn around his fortunes, but his time at his former club was just as disappointing – and this summer they shifted his high wages to little known Turkish outfit Kasimpasa.
His time in Beyoglu has so far been a reasonable success – he has stayed fit which above all else might be his main target for the rest of this season.
But he will now miss a game or two for the club – after receiving a silly red card yesterday evening.
Playing against MP Antalyaspor Babel received his marching orders with 15 minutes to go – as he overly protested the red card received by his team-mate Ilhan Eker just moments earlier.
His red card for dissent saw Kasimpasa reduced to nine men for the final 15 minutes – and they were fortunate to get away with a point in the 1-1 draw.
It was the second red-card of his career – the other coming against Benfica for Liverpool in the Europa League back in 2010.
Back then he admitted afterward that the dismissal for raising his hands to Benfica defender Luisao was stupid – and on this occasion the same rings true for Babel.
image: © vincentteeuwen
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