Micah Richards was subjected to some very tongue-in-cheek, double-entendre-riddled ribbing from his CBS Sports Golazo co-pundits on Tuesday night.
Richards was jokingly being punished for his comments on a previous broadcast earlier in the season about the French side Stade Brestois – or Brest for short – in the Champions League.
The competition debutants recorded a stunning 4-0 win over RB Salzburg to make it two wins from two, joining Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the group phase at the time in early October.
‘It’s a big one,’ Thierry Henry said, looking ahead to the Ligue 1 side’s next fixture in the competition, which sees them welcome Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen to Stade Francis Le Ble back in October – a 1-1 draw.
Only for Richards to comment: ‘It’s a bit lopsided I think.’ That remark sent several members of the production crew into hysterics, while host Kate Scott covered her face to conceal her laughter.
In response to his actions, though, Tuesday’s programme saw Smith jokingly claiming that the production team had requested Richards remain silent while the punditry team discussed Brest’s exploits in the Champions League.
Micah Richards was forced to remain silent while his co-pundits went about making a series of hilarious gags
Kate Scott (left) joked that the production staff had requested for Richards to remain silent
Thierry Henry (left) and Jamie Carragher (right) also took part in poking fun at their co-pundit
‘We are going to do a segment about Brest, but unfortunately we do fell that you have consistently proven you can’t stay professional in these segments, so production would like to ask if you feel comfortable remaining silent?’ Scott asked Richards.
The former England and Man City defender insists that he ‘can do this’, but host Scott sarcastically repeats ‘we think it’s for the best’, before Richards agrees to be silent.
But the panel then embarked on a segment filled with hilarious innuendos and double entendres, deliberately designed to make Richards laugh and test his self control.
‘After four games, who here likes Brest?’ Scott asks, with Henry and Jamie Carragher both smirking as they raise their hands.
‘I like the shape of them,’ jokes Carragher with Richards almost physically in pain as he withholds his laughter. ‘If you look at the set up under the manager what he’s got… he’s gone for a front two tonight?’
‘Yeah, two big um… a pair up front that are going to try to…’ adds Henry.
Scott then continues: ‘And how much do you like watching them – would you pay to watch them?’
Carragher then responds: ‘I have done!’ to leave Richards rocking back and forth in his chair and slamming the desk as he tries to compose himself.
Richards eventually cracked under the barrage of innuendos and asked: ‘What is this?!’
Stade Brest are appearing in their first ever European competition and faced Barcelona on Tuesday
But Henry continues mercilessly, saying: ‘There is basically one thing that you can say. You don’t have to be big; you can be small and compete.’
Scott continues: ‘Do you think Brest could get exposed tonight (against Barcelona in the Champions League)?’
And Carragher finally offers up the straw that breaks the camel’s back, answering: ‘I hope so!’
It proves to be too much for Richards, who finally bursts and asks: ‘What is this! What is this nonsense! HR! Woooooow! That was hard!’
Scott wasn’t done, though: ‘What do you reckon, Micah – could Barcelona come a bit quickly for Brest tonight?’ to which Richards pulls a shocked face and refuses to answer.
Carragher jokes that it ‘might have crossed the line’ while Richards refuses to play ball because he claims ‘you’re trying to get me sacked’ and pleads the fifth, before the discussion turns to a series inspection of the French side’s incredible rise.
Brest were in action against Barcelona on Tuesday evening, following their shock qualification for the competition, their first ever European qualification after coming 3rd in Ligue 1 last season.