Ferguson not guilty over penalty
Reuters - Wednesday 06 April 2011, 22:37
LONDON - Manchester United manager Sir Alex
Ferguson felt no guilt when the referee failed to award Chelsea
a penalty on Wednesday, saying this team had waited years to
"get a decision" at Stamford Bridge.
The incident came as the first leg of their Champions League
quarter-final on Wednesday moved into stoppage-time with United
holding a 1-0 lead.
United defender Patrice Evra appeared to hook his leg around
Chelsea midfielder Ramires but Spanish referee Alberto Undiano
Mallenco waved play on and the Manchester club will take a 1-0
lead into the second leg next week.
"Someone said it could have been a penalty but if it was, it
was the first decision we have got here in seven years, so I
don't feel guilty about it at all," Ferguson told a news
conference.
"From where I was it looked a 50-50, I don't know if there
was contact."
Ferguson got into trouble with the FA for comments he made
about the referee when United lost 2-1 to Chelsea in the Premier
League at Stamford Bridge last month, earning him a five-match
ban from the touchline in domestic matches.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti was more critical of the
referee.
"It was a clear penalty and everyone knows it. The problem
was that it came in the last minute and sometimes it's not easy
for the referee to give a penalty in the last minute of the
game," Ancelotti said.
"You need to have personality, courage and so on, and not
always do referees in general have these kind of skills.
"I'm disappointed, this is the result, it's past, if you ask
me for my opinion I will give it. It wasn't just the referee but
the linesman - he was in the right position to see if it was a
penalty.
"I told the referee afterwards it was a penalty and he
should have whistled. He didn't say anything back to me."
Evra said United had had a lot of bad decisions against
Chelsea in recent years.
"I did not fear the worst, I tried to go for the ball, but I
touched the ball and the player as well and I was not scared he
was going to give a penalty," the French full-back said.