Roberto Soldado has been slated for committing a "nasty" horror challenge on Jorge Cuenca in Villarreal's pre-season friendly against Levante on Thursday.
The 36-year-old former Tottenham striker signed with La Liga side Levante in June after leaving Granada.
However, Soldado has already found himself at the centre of controversy after his rash tackle on Cuenca.
Advert
The Villarreal forward was beaten to the ball by Cuenca before half-time, but Soldado then committed to a poor challenge in a desperate bid to reclaim the ball.
Soldado lunged at the back of the 21-year-old Villarreal centre-back's calf, with Cuenca slumping onto the pitch.
The ex-Spain international shockingly managed to escape a red card, with the referee booking Soldado.
Unsurprisingly, furious fans blasted Soldado on social media and even called his reckless challenge "cowardly."
Advert
One fan simply posted: "Should be a straight red."
Someone else wrote: "Roberto Soldado, everyone. Reminds me of when he snapped Marcelo Diaz's leg in half. But this one was in a dang friendly."
While a third added: "Whoa, what the hell got into Roberto Soldado here?"
And another Twitter user tweeted: "Criminal [challenge], Roberto Soldado."
Soldado made 43 appearances across all competitions for Granada last season and scored 14 times.
Advert
The former Real Madrid and Villarreal player signed a two-year deal with current club Levante.
"I really wanted to start enjoying the coaching staff and my teammates," Soldado said.
"I'm very happy to be at Levante, I'm going to give it my all. We have to fully prepare to get to the first league game in the best conditions.
"These are days of adaptation. They have received me very well and I want to gain confidence with my teammates. I want to train hard, the season is exciting."
Featured Image Credit: TwitterTopics: Football, Villarreal, Spain, La Liga
