Robin Van Persie Once Got A Three Game Ban For Celebrating A Goal

Robin van Persie was once banned for three games during his time at Fenerbahce, after tormenting former Arsenal teammate Oguzhan Ozyakup.

Goal celebrations aren't always as happy as they could be, which Richarlison could potentially find out in the wake of throwing a flare back towards the crowd.

In 2017, Van Persie was involved in a very angry goal celebration, after scoring in an Istanbul derby during a very heated Turkish Cup game.

The Dutchman and Ozyakup had been mates when the pair were at Arsenal at the same time, though the Turkish international only ever played twice for the Gunners.

However when the pair met in Turkey things went downhill quickly, with them exchanging words during the game after Ozyakup's teammate Dusko Tosic was sent off for pushing Van Persie.

In the second half, the former Manchester United striker would score what would turn out to be the winner and, taking some notes from former Gunners' teammate Emmanuel Adebayor, the goalscorer did a knee slide right in front of his opponent.

The celebration landed Van Persie a three game ban, although he wasn't reprimanded or shown a red card by the referee at the time of the match.

Whilst it got him three days off, it also temporarily ended the striker's friendship with Ozyakup, with the midfielder admitting he'd lost respect for his former teammate.

"I was very good friends with a certain player on the field. That changed today," he said after the game.

“Sometimes you see the real face of a footballer on the field.”

Whilst the Besiktas man admitted later in that year that they still weren't talking, adding, "I do not think I was in the wrong, if anything I was wrong to show Robin as much respect as I did," thing eventually got better.

The two men eventually reunited in 2020 after Van Persie had moved back to Feyenoord, his first club, Ozyakup joined the team on loan, whilst his former teammate, turned enemy, was on the coaching staff.