RVP blasts 'cowardly' UEFA over Nani red
Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has branded UEFA as 'cowards' after their decision to support referee Cuneyt Cakir's sending-off of Nani.
By FOX Sports Staff
Manchester United were eliminated from the Champions League after a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid at Old Trafford in which Nani was controversially sent off for a high challenge on Alvaro Arbeloa while United were holding on to a 1-0 lead.
Van Persie expressed his disappointment in the decision and the fact that UEFA chose to back the referee despite the contentious decision.
Speaking to Dutch news outlet Algemeen Dagblad, the Dutch striker, said: "That red card was heavily unjustified. It was not even a yellow card or a free-kick. Nani couldn't do anything about it, he hardly touched Arbeloa.
"The worst thing is that UEFA supports him. That's cowardly, because I really don't understand it.
"Why don't they just be honest and say, ‘He hasn't seen it?'
"I didn't understand before the game that this man would be the referee, such an unknown referee who hasn't been in charge of a big games for months.
"Even the guys from Madrid told me afterwards that it was not a red card."
Van Persie lamented the cost of the dismissal as he believed that United would have made it through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League otherwide.
"For an hour everything was looking good, the tactics seemed to be right," he added.
"We really had the feeling that we were going to score the second goal and then it would become very difficult for Real Madrid, but then it the referee pulled the red card.
"Real were not dangerous at all, I'm sure we would have kept our position. So now it's all about the title in the Premier League."