Quite often, a manager's final message before leaving the dressing room is to avoid making any mistakes early on in a game. While you can't win a match in the first five minutes, you can lose it if you're not careful.
That usually means limiting sloppy passes and keeping things tight at the back. In saying that, even the biggest pessimist would not have considered the possibility of being sent off only nine seconds into a game.
That is exactly what happened in Ligue 1 this afternoon.
Ligue 1 player sent off nine seconds into game
Nice faced into the Ligue 1 fixture against Angers hoping to find some form after a patchy start to the season, winning only two of their first seven league fixtures.
However, they experienced a disastrous start to the game when defender Jean-Clair Todibo was sent off after only nine seconds.
Anger would burst forward after taking the kick-off, exchanging a couple of tidy passes before advancing into the final third. Todibo would then trip up the forward just when it looked as though he was advancing in on goal, getting sent off for taking him down as the last man.
'Let him know you're there early on!'
Nice player Jean-Clair Todibo got sent off nine seconds into their Ligue 1 game against Angers this afternoon 🤣pic.twitter.com/qn7M0CR7Ad— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) September 18, 2022
Not the best start to the day for Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo against Angers. 😶 pic.twitter.com/WCvYBhqFVq
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) September 18, 2022
It perhaps seemed a bit harsh, especially when you consider that there were a number of other Nice defenders in close proximity to the challenge.
22-year old Jean-Clair Todibo joined the club on a permanent basis in 2021 and was a mainstay in the side last season. He is joined in the club's current squad by a number of familiar names, with former Premier League players such as Ross Barkley, Nicholas Pepe, Kasper Schmeichel, and Aaron Ramsey all now based in the south of France.
Considering they face PSG in their first game back after the international break, things may not get any easier for the club anytime soon.
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