West Ham assistant Billy McKinlay is SENT OFF after furious touchline row with Bayer Leverkusen staff… sparking a mass brawl among the players in chaotic Europa League clash

West Ham‘s assistant manager Billy McKinlay was sent off after furiously clashing with Bayer Leverkusen coaching staff during Thursday’s Europa League clash at the London Stadium.

Moments after referee Jose María Sanchez brandished the red card to McKinlay, a mass brawl erupted between the West Ham and Bayer Leverkusen players on the pitch, as Michail Antonio tried to wrestle the ball off Odilon Kossounou.

Jarrod Bowen, Aaron Cresswell and Edson Alvarez were among those to leap to the defence of Antonio after Leverkusen captain Jonathan Tah confronted him in the centre of the melee.

Soon, most players from both sides lunged into the brawl, with Tah and Antonio picking up bookings following the incident.

It is not yet known what exactly sparked the touchline row between both sets of coaches, but McKinlay appeared furious as he gestured towards a Leverkusen staff member.

Referee Jose María Sanchez brandishes the red card after the staff fracas on the touchline

West Ham and Bayer Leverkusen’s players brawled on the pitch shortly after McKinlay’s red

The Leverkusen coach was also sent to the stands by the referee shortly after David Moyes’ assistant was given his marching orders.

The German side, who celebrated winning the Bundesliga title after 11 years of Bayern Munich dominance at the weekend, headed into the second leg at the London Stadium with a 2-0 advantage.

Antonio swiftly cut West Ham’s deficit in half in the 13th minute with a well-taken goal, raising tensions between the two sides as both fought hard to book a place in the Europa League semi-finals. 

Despite rallying hard to level the tie, West Ham failed to breach the Leverkusen defence again and ultimately conceded in the 89th minute, as Jeremie Frimpong’s strike made it a 3-1 defeat for the Hammers on aggregate.