Robbed

That’s the only word to describe what happened to Manchester United last night. They were robbed.

I’m not a United fan, but I am a fan of football, and I’m sure all true football fans will be appalled by the referee’s decision in the Champions League match against Real Madrid last night. Yes, Nani’s foot was high; yes, it was a dangerous tackle. But there was no intent – Nani didn’t see the other player coming; his eyes were fixed firmly on the ball. The other player wasn’t hurt; the referee took a minute to make his decision, and bearing in mind the significance of the match and the circumstances surrounding the incident, he should have used common sense and had words with Nani and shown him a yellow card.

The referee’s decision – no doubt made to put him in the spotlight and get his name into the media – ruined the match as a spectacle, and the knock-on effect could be disastrous for Sir Alex Ferguson’s team. Quite aside from the tens of millions of pounds they will lose in revenues, a defeat like that can destroy a team’s confidence and send them into a downward spiral that it’s difficult to recover from. Just look at Arsenal a couple of seasons ago: They were in contention for four trophies – the League Cup, FA Cup, Champion’s League and the Premiership. Then they lost in the League Cup final to Birmingham and it destroyed them. In a matter of weeks they dropped out of the reckoning for all four trophies, and now, a couple of seasons on, they still have not recovered, and Arsene Wenger – he who put together “The Invincibles” – is under pressure from all sides.

This should not be an end of the matter. There should be an official inquiry into the referee’s decision. At the very least, the referee should never officiate over a Champion’s League match again.