Bruno Lage’s bizarre hand‑ball dismissal overshadows Al Diriyah win

Portuguese coach Bruno Lage was shown a red card in the dying minutes of the Al Diriyah versus Al Hazem match, after he stopped a counter‑attack by handling the ball, a dismissal that dominated headlines despite Al Diriyah’s 1‑0 victory.

Lage, the Portuguese manager, halted the attacking move by reaching out and touching the ball with his hand, prompting the referee to brandish a straight red card without hesitation.

The incident occurred as Al Diriyah were defending a slim 1‑0 lead over Al Hazem, a scoreline that ultimately held despite the controversy.

The dismissal came in the final minutes of the game, effectively ending any chance of a comeback for the visitors.

The footage and report were credited to Al Nassr Zone/X], the media outlet that supplied the exclusive coverage of the match.

Readers can access the full story on the front page of Record and through the newspaper’s ePaper service.

The bizarre nature of the hand‑ball dismissal dominated post‑match commentary, with many describing it as a caricature of officiating.