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February 22, 2014

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Pellegrini apology over referee blast

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has apologized for his comments about the referee after his side’s 0-2 Champions League defeat by Barcelona on Tuesday, although he maintains Jonas Eriksson did play a role in the eventual outcome.

Pellegrini questioned the impartiality of Sweden’s Eriksson and accused him of deciding the outcome of the last-16 first leg match.

“When you lose a game the way we lost against Barcelona, you are frustrated, you are angry,” he told a news conference yesterday ahead of his side’s English Premier League match against Stoke City.

“Maybe I said something but I don’t think that way. I want to apologize for what I said. I didn’t say he was a bad referee, that he was not honest, that he cannot referee in UEFA, that was the first thing I want to clarify.

“I felt from the beginning his criteria was not the same for both teams, I think he had a bad day — everyone can have a bad day — but I didn’t say that intentionally he didn’t give fouls for us or did give fouls for Barcelona.”

Governing body UEFA launched a probe into the Chilean’s comments on Thursday, ahead of potential disciplinary proceedings.

City fell behind early in the second half when Eriksson awarded a penalty for a foul by Martin Demichelis on fellow Argentine Lionel Messi on the edge of the box and the defender was sent off.

There were suggestions a City player had been fouled before the incident.


 

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