Newcastle midfielder Joelinton was seen challenging Manchester United player Manuel Ugarte to a physical altercation in the tunnel after a heated moment during their recent match.
The incident occurred during Newcastle`s dominant 4-1 victory at home. As Joelinton was being substituted, he clashed with Ugarte, a midfielder for Manchester United, sparking a tense confrontation right on the field.
Newcastle`s assistant manager, Jason Tindall, who was filling in for the absent head coach, substituted Joelinton partly to prevent him from receiving a yellow card, which would have led to a suspension.
However, Joelinton`s frustration was evident as he argued with Ugarte, confronting him directly and needing to be restrained by his teammates.
Eyewitnesses reported that Joelinton seemed to challenge Ugarte to a fight, gesturing towards the tunnel as if to suggest they settle their differences away from the pitch.
Newcastle supporters were likely relieved that Joelinton avoided a caution during the altercation, as he was already close to a suspension.
The substitution by Tindall ensured Joelinton was removed from the potentially volatile situation before it could worsen.
At the time of the incident, Newcastle held a comfortable 4-1 lead, securing their position in the top four, overtaking Manchester City in the league standings.
Joelinton played a role in Newcastle`s fourth goal, scored by his fellow Brazilian Bruno Guimaraes, which capitalized on a poor pass from Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.
Harvey Barnes scored twice earlier in the second half for Newcastle, exploiting weaknesses in Manchester United`s defense.
In the first half, Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United equalized after Sandro Tonali had opened the scoring for Newcastle.
Joelinton avoiding a booking capped off a successful day for Newcastle, especially as their manager Eddie Howe was absent due to illness.
Despite the positive result for Newcastle, some viewers felt Joelinton`s behavior was inappropriate.
One observer commented that Joelinton should have been sent off for inciting violence, while another questioned the necessity of his confrontational actions. A third person suggested it would have been an overreaction if Ugarte had accepted Joelinton`s apparent challenge.
