England soccer star Wayne Rooney was sent off during England's 2-2 draw with Montenegro on Friday night -- just a day after his father's arrest in connection with a betting scam.
The result in Montenegro secured England qualification for next summer's European Championship, but the Rooney red card means the Manchester United star will miss the first two games of next year's tournament, The (London) Times reported.
Rooney was shown a straight red card for twice kicking out at Miodrag Dzudovic after losing possession in the 73rd minute, a dreadful loss of discipline at a point when England needed to keep their heads in the face of a Montenegro fightback.
The mandatory suspension for violent conduct in UEFA matches is two games, meaning he will start on the sidelines in Poland and Ukraine.
Manager Fabio Capello told Sky Sports, "I think the red card is OK. He was unhappy with the performance and when he lost the ball he kicked the opponent. He will be suspended so we will try to find new solutions.
"He is an important player, but sometimes the most important player doesn't play well and makes mistakes. It will be a good lesson for him and for the team."
A last-minute equalizer secured a draw for Montenegro after England had taken the lead with goals from Ashley Young and Darren Bent.
England had looked like running riot at one stage, but to their credit Montenegro fought back to gain the point that took them into the play-offs for the first time after Wales' victory over Switzerland.
England defender John Terry said, “It was disappointing, but it didn’t hurt us in the end. We’ve qualified and we’re looking forward to going to the finals. We want to go the whole way.”
Rooney's father was bailed Thursday pending further inquiries after being arrested as part of an investigation into betting irregularities at a Scottish Premier League soccer match.
