The Chilean was visibly frustrated after seeing his side slip to a 2-0
defeat in the first leg of the last-16 match following Martin Demichelis' red
card
Manuel Pellegrini faces a UEFA ban after accusing referee Jonas Eriksson of
deliberately favouring Barcelona.
The angry Manchester City boss claimed
Eriksson awarded Barca a controversial penalty in their 2-0 Champions
League win at the Etihad on Tuesday to make up for not awarding
the Spanish side two spot-kicks against Milan two seasons ago.
Pellegrini said the Blues' Martin
Demichelis’ challenge on Lionel Messi was outside the box and he could not
understand why Eriksson was appointed to such a big game.
“There is more important football in Europe than Sweden,” he fumed. “A big
game with two important teams, that kind of game needs a referee with more
experience.
“This referee whistled the Barcelona-Milan game and he made an important
error against Barcelona. Today he rearranged it.”
Jose Mourinho had claimed pre-match that Barca are weaker than they have been in
years and they struggled to create in the first half at the
Etihad against a City side that has been described as the best on the planet.
But eight minutes after the break, Eriksson dismissed Demichelis before
Messi converted the penalty in the game’s turning point.
Pellegrini said: “The referee decided the game. Before the penalty, it was
a foul on Navas when he was three metres from the play so he could see it.
“From the beginning I felt the ref was not impartial to both teams. And
after it was not a penalty, it was outside the box, the contact is outside the
box.
“He did not have any control of the game. He favoured Barcelona from the
beginning to the end. I think it was not a good idea to put a referee from
Sweden in charge and a referee who made a mistake against Barcelona.”
Dani Alves added a second in the final minute to deal a potentially fatal
blow to City’s Champions League hopes.
Pellegrini went with just Alvaro Negredo up front and Aleksandar Kolarov on
the left wing.
“I always set out to play in the way we played, because it is important
when you have two legs against Barcelona not to concede a goal at home,” he
said. “That is why it was a very close game, a very balanced game. Barcelona
did not have any chances until the penalty against Demichelis.”
Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino insisted the tie is not over, saying: “I am
not taking anything for granted. It is true we have done a good game and we
have to repeat this performance.”
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