Former Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor received a red card for a flying kick to an opponent’s face on his second start for Olimpia today.

ASUNCION, PARAGUAY - MARCH 11: Emmanuel Adebayor of Olimpia and Hector Martinez of Defensa y Justicia fight for the ball during a match between Olimpia and Defensa y Justicia as part of Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores at Tigo Manuel Ferreira Stadium on March 11, 2020, in Asuncion, Paraguay. (Photo by Luis Vera/Getty Images)
ASUNCION, PARAGUAY – MARCH 11: Emmanuel Adebayor of Olimpia and Hector Martinez of Defensa y Justicia fight for the ball during a match between Olimpia and Defensa y Justicia as part of Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores at Tigo Manuel Ferreira Stadium on March 11, 2020, in Asuncion, Paraguay. (Photo by Luis Vera/Getty Images)

Emmanuel Adebayor moved to Olimpia a month ago, and he made his first start for the club in the Paraguayan league earlier this week. Though he didn’t score, he did enough to earn another start against Defensa y Justicia in the Copa Libertadores.

That appearance didn’t go as planned. With his team 1-0 up, Adebayor leapt up to try and control an aerial ball, failing to win it and kicking an opponent in the face instead. Unsurprisingly, he got a red card.

To be fair to him, it doesn’t look like Adebayor meant it. He was looking at the ball, yet clearly endangered the safety of the Defensa y Justicia player. The red card was the right decision, but it wasn’t as though the 36-year-old set out to harm someone.

Hardly an ideal start, all the same. Adebayor’s contract lasts until the end of the year, so he has plenty of time to make amends.