Ex-Man Utd misfit Rojo handed unorthodox ban after horror tackle on opponent

Marcos Rojo has been banned from captaining Boca Juniors - but only for a month - following his dismissal in the recent Superclasico.

The former Manchester United defender, 32, was sent off in Boca's 1-0 win against bitter rivals River Plate at La Bombonera earlier this month for a terrible high tackle on Uruguay international Nicolas de la Cruz. He received an automatic one-match ban for the foul.

Yet the Argentine FA have since handed Rojo another punishment by banning him from captaining his team for a month. The Argentina international won't be able to wear the armband again until Boca face Sarmiento away from home on October 12.

Speaking after the game, Rojo admitted games between Boca and River can get a little bit fiery - to say the least. The Buenos Aires clubs are regarded as the two most popular teams in Argentina and have won 10 Copa Libertadores titles between them.

"It [his red card] doesn't bother me," said Rojo. "The classics are like that, gets a little too much. I made three fouls in the whole game, we didn't make as many fouls, we made some tactical fouls, it's not that we had an aggressive game or strange things.

"They played this way and everything was fine, they celebrated, and now that we did it a bit, it bothers us. We are calm with the things we did, how we faced the game and how we won it."

What do you make of Marcos Rojo's tackle? Let us know in the comments below!

Rojo made 122 appearances for United between 2014 and 2021 - winning the FA Cup, EFL Cup, Europa League and Community Shield. He had a reputation at Old Trafford for being an aggressive defender, picking up 23 yellow cards in his 76 Premier League games.

"He has to be aggressive in the right moment," said former United boss Louis van Gaal after signing Rojo in 2014. "When I have to say something about him that I have to criticise, that is it - he has to control himself in every moment."

Luke Shaw told Soccer AM in 2019: "No-one goes near him [Rojo] in training. He's the sort of tough cookie in the team. In training, he's probably on the floor 90 per cent of the time, slide tackling everyone with his studs up, so everyone knows to stay away from him.

"But it's just one of them, you've just got to allow it because it's the way he is. But people like that aggression, it's sometimes needed - but not as aggressive as that. But he's a nice one to have on your team."

Rojo came through the ranks at Argentine giants Estudiantes before moving to Europe to play for Russian side Spartak Moscow in 2010. He then joined Sporting Lisbon in 2012 before impressing at the World Cup two years later to earn a move to Old Trafford.

Rojo re-joined Estudiantes on loan in January 2020 but later completed a permanent move to Boca in February 2021. He's already won two trophies since signing for Boca and is battling to win the Primera Division title this season, currently sitting in third.

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