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SFA to query Uefa rules after Fletcher ban is upheld

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Published Date: 12 May 2009
THE Scottish Football Association will lobby for UEFA to allow appeals against the kind of decision which cost Darren Fletcher a place in the Champions League final.
Manchester United midfielder Fletcher will miss the Rome showpiece after his club's plea to overturn his sending off in the semi-final second leg at Arsenal was rejected.

UEFA rules meant United's protest was always doomed to fail and SFA chief executive Gordon Smith wants to ensure no-one else suffers the same fate in future.

He said: "I do think there should be some sort of appeal process for a red card.

"I'm not in favour of the fact that at that level you can't do it.

"I'm on a European football committee and it's certainly an issue I will raise."

UEFA have maintained their steadfast refusal to overturn refereeing decisions by rejecting protests from Manchester United and Barcelona against red cards incurred in the Champions League semi-finals.

The rejection means Fletcher's hopes of playing in the final have been dashed, and Barcelona's defenders Eric Abidal and Daniel Alves will also miss the season's climax in Rome on May 27.

UEFA's rules state only a case of mistaken identity can lead to a referee's decision being changed and United have ruled out any further attempt to overturn Fletcher's suspension.

A club spokesman said: "Darren is an honest player and we felt we should do what we could to try and help him become eligible for the Champions League final by initially protesting his dismissal.

"However, we respect the referee's decision and we will therefore not be appealing against the ruling."

UEFA said both United and Barcelona had missed the deadline for filing a protest but that there were no grounds for overturning suspensions in any case.

The ban will come as a huge blow for Fletcher, a non-playing substitute at last season's final, who was sent off by Italian referee Robert Rosetti for denying Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas a goal-scoring chance.

Television replays showed however he seemed to have won the ball.

Abidal's red card against Chelsea was also viewed as harsh though Alves' caution which rules him out of the final looked straightforward.

A UEFA statement said: "Even if they had been admitted they would have been rejected as unfounded as there were no grounds for contesting the referees' original decisions."

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  • Last Updated: 12 May 2009 10:49 AM
  • Source: scotsman.com
  • Location: Scotland
  • Related Topics: Champions' League
 
1

Pedantic,

Edinburgh City Centre 12/05/2009 11:06:39
"Television replays showed however he seemed to have won the ball."

What an ambiguous statement to make. Can't the journalist make his / her mind up whether Fletcher won the ball or not? Clearly he did. Anybody who can't determine that fact after numerous TV replays should not be reporting on a football article. Must do better next time!
2

hillfits jambo,

12/05/2009 11:39:43
Winning the ball doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't a foul. It was a clumsy challenge. The ref decided it was a foul. He denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. No option but a red card.

I don't understand why so many commentators, journalists, ex-pros and current players seem to think that just cos he managed to touch the ball, it therefore couldn't be a foul.
3

Malcolm71,

scotland 12/05/2009 11:58:41
Fletcher won the ball cleanly - he played the ball first - there was nothing clumsy about it. The Arsenal boy fell over like a fairy which far too many of them do nowadays. Football is a contact sport and the sooner European referees start realising that the better.
4

Class On Grass,

Legs Akimbo 12/05/2009 12:45:11



He touched the ball away and then caught the Fabregas's legs, denying him the possibility of a shot. A bit soft, but still denied a goalscoring chance, and there was no need to make the tackle (more behind than to the side)

He knows refs have been instructed to give reds for any tackle from behind, and made a split-second decision which he probably now regrets. Fletcher is showing some dignity here, he's no Drogba.

Still, one club match less keeps him in better shape for the more important team.

5

Jimbodebs,

Edinburgh 12/05/2009 12:52:03
I missed the Arsenal V. Man. U. game, so can't comment on the Fletcher red card. However, I did see the Chelsea V. Barca. game and after viewing it umpteen times, I still can't see any contact whatsoever by Abidal, and I've not heard of anyone else, apart from the referee, who thinks there was any. It's really tough on the player but the rules don't allow for much flexibilty in the cause of equity.
6

robbieref,

uk 12/05/2009 13:29:27
As a referee, I have to say that I can't understand what all the fuss is about. The slow-motion action replay only serve to confirm beyond doubt the referee's correct decision. The argument that he 'won the ball' is a red herring in these cases. You cannot win the ball and then proceed to make sure your opponent can't win it back by tripping him with your upper leg - which is precisely what Fletcher did. It's an old trick that the pros get away with all the time - but he was clocked on this occasion. Fletcher's body language when the red card was shown suggests he feared it was coming. Shame, because I admire Darren Fletcher as a player, but the ref got this one absolutely right.
7

Pedantic,

Edinburgh City Centre 12/05/2009 14:55:06
#6,

Oh come off it. Just because an opponent goes down during the course of a tackle where the ball is won doesn't necessarily mean that this must be deemed a foul. So what you're saying is that any ball winning challenge that causes a player to go down rendering him unable to immediately win the ball back should be a foul? There would be free kicks and penalty kicks for just about every challenge were that interpretation to be used. It's a contact sport and challenges cause players to go to ground continually. It's part and parcel of tackling or making a challenge.
8

robbieref,

uk 12/05/2009 16:13:58
No 9 – Not what I said at all! Fletcher deliberately moved his leg across to make sure the guy went down. Note the use of the word 'deliberately', which distinguishes it from the vast majority of fair-minded challenges (to which you refer) where there's no intent to bring down your opponent.
9

Cali Scot,

12/05/2009 16:53:23
I agrre in part with #6 but also see the argument made in # 7 and 9; its a tricky one. However, the tackle was made from behind which if I understand things is supposed to be punished. It seems the harshness of it is not the foul or penalty but the red card which was probably unwarrented.Rferees need to look at the totality of the situation and maybe even consuly more with linesman before making such a big decision.
10

Media at One,

12/05/2009 18:08:47
It is a pity that Fletcher will miss out, but that is football - Technology should exist for the fans as a talking point, but it should not influence the game.

 

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