Patrice Evra has become the first player to be sent off before a match in the Europa League

Patrice Evra has become the first player in Europa League history to be sent off before his match kicked off.

The former Manchester United defender appeared to kick a fan in the head in a heated confrontation before Marseille’s Europa League match in Portugal.

Despite his sending off the 36-year-old, named as a substitute for the Ligue 1 side’s fixture away to Vitoria, soon appeared relaxed about the situation – taking photos with fans in the stands.

😡 Fight a fan

🙈 Get sent off pre-match

😂 Take selfies in the stands

"I love this game!" - Patrice Evra, November 2nd, 2017 pic.twitter.com/XMmq8kaSVS

— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) November 2, 2017

Video footage showed Evra lashing out at one of his own club’s fans as players and supporters, who had seemingly scaled barriers to reach the advertising hoardings at the Estadio D Afonso Henriques, confronted each other at the side of the pitch. Evra was then was ushered away by a team-mate.

According to a report in L’Equipe, he was reacting to taunts directed at him.

The game finished 1-0 to the Portuguese side.

Elsewhere in the Europa League Everton were knocked out of the competition after losing 3-0 at Lyon – as midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin was sent off in the 80th minute.