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Darren Fletcher’s final heartache as ban stays
Chris Hatherall06.05.09
Darren Fletcher will miss the Champions League Final after UEFA insisted today they would not overturn his red card.
The governing body confirmed that a protest against a sending-off is only allowed on the basis of mistaken identity — and not on whether the referee had been too harsh.
UEFA head of communications Rob Faulkner said: “Manchester United have the right to file a protest within 24 hours of the match. However, a protest against a caution or sending-off is only admissible if the referee's error was to mistake the identity of the player.”
The decision means Fletcher will be suspended for the final in Rome on 27 May.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had hoped referee Roberto Rosetti would have admitted it was a mistake to give Fletcher a straight red card for a foul on Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas in the box. Rosetti, however, judged Fletcher had denied Fabregas a goal-scoring chance and that he had no alternative but to award Arsenal a penalty and send off the Scot.
Ferguson said: “He's one of the most honest players and to miss the final, it's a tragedy. In respect to the referee, in this situation he might look at it himself without anyone asking him.”
Reader views (5)
Surely it's about time that football authorities entered the real world. We have the necessary equipment to check and ensure that most decisions are correct, just and fair. To deliberately ignore this and continue to allow bad judgements and mistakes to go unchallenged is wrong and unjust, and shows the lack of any form of intelligence, fairness or common sense in all members sitting in these authorities. We all need rules but these have to be fair and reasonable. The current rules that banned Fletcher have none of these essentials.
- Bill C, Scotland
Ahh, a jealous hammer, never would get into europe, unless going to iceland's!
Europa league too much for the hammers!
Shame, Fletcher you did play the ball, if his intention was to play fabregas, then i can understand it, but to play the ball, then afterwards, its momentum...
Poor decision ref...
- Adrian, london
I'm no Manc Utd fan, but that was a terrible decision.
And UEFA do an English club a favour, pigs might fly.
- Roynaldo, Elm Park
He deserved the red for the number of times he fell over thin air anyway. I'm a Hammer so I couldn't care less who won last night (in an ideal world they'd both have lost), but even I was disgusted just how biased that ref was towards the Mancs and their terrible play acting.
Fantastic side or not, they're still by far the worst when it comes to that side of things.
- Stu, Beckton
There was nothing controversial at all about that sending off. It was a challenge from behind (illegal) and though Fletcher made contact with the ball, his follow-through prevented Fabregas from reclaiming possession and ultimately a goal scoring opportunity. Well done the referee for making the correct decision.
- John Bloomfield, Twickenham
