Manchester United crashed out of the
Champions League in controversial circumstances after Real Madrid recorded a
2-1 victory - and 3-2 aggregate win - at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.
With the whole football world tuning in, to
watch two of the biggest clubs on the planet go head-to-head for a place in the
quarter finals of Europe's elite club competition, a single refereeing decision
midway through the second half turned the tie completely on its head.
The red card shown to Portuguese winger Nani
ruined the spectacle for everyone, leaving neutral supporters short-changed
from what was turning out to be a titanic battle, after Sir Alex Ferguson's
side had taken a slender 1-0 lead on the night, and 2-1 aggregate advantage.
Then, in the 56th minute, Nani was sent off
after raising his foot high and connecting with the ribs of Real Madrid
defender Alvaro Arbeloa as Manchester United broke free from a corner.
Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir's decision to
reprimand the attacking midfielder with the harshest of punishments, prompted a
furious remonstration from Ferguson on the touchline, and the Old Trafford
crowd became equally vociferous in airing the collective feeling of discontent.
Real Madrid took control against ten-men,
scoring two goals in quick succession, with substitute Luka Modric and
returning hero Cristiano Ronaldo putting the final nail in Manchester United's
coffin.
The Premier League leaders rallied in the
closing stages, but could not complete a fight back - even after the
introduction of Wayne Rooney - with the two earlier strikes enough to settle
the tie, leaving home fans to ponder what might have been had it not been for
the controversial decision.
Unfortunately, it's not the first time that a
referee has been the major talking point in a high-profile football match. But
where does last night's calamity rank amongst GiveMeFootball's list of the five
worst red card decisions ever? Find out here…
Vincent
Kompany | Manchester City
Manchester United fans shouldn't feel too
sorry for themselves after last night's controversy, because good fortune often
favours them when it comes to questionable red card decisions.
Take, Vincent Kompany's sending off for
Manchester City in their 1-0 FA Cup third round defeat on January 8, 2012. Nani
was at the centre of the incident again,
but this time on the receiving end of the tackle in question, which came
in the 12th minute of the game, soon after Wayne Rooney had given United a
valuable lead.
Kompany's withdrawal effectively ended any
hope Roberto Mancini's side had of coming back into the game, leaving the
Citizens with over 75 minutes to play with ten men.
Robin
van Persie | Arsenal
Another Champions League controversy came
when former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie was sent off after receiving a
second yellow card in Camp Nou in their last-16 second leg tie on March 9,
2011, for kicking the ball away after play had already been stopped.
Arsene Wenger was furious with Swiss referee,
Massimo Busacca, claiming that the sending off "killed the game", and
was the key reason for the Gunners' exit.
"I think two kinds of people can be
unhappy: those who love Arsenal and those who love football can be frustrated
with the referee's decision because it's very difficult to understand his
attitude," reflected the Frenchman after the game. "How can you kill
a football game like that? It was a very promising game, very interesting,
that's the regret."
Eden
Hazard | Chelsea
Only last month, Chelsea winger Eden Hazard
was sent off in extraordinary circumstances in the club's Capital One Cup semi-final
second leg defeat against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium, after he was adjudged
to have kicked a ballboy whilst trying to retrieve the football.
After a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in the
first leg, the Belgian star let his frustration get the better of him with the
game still goalless in the 78th minute. As the ball drifted out for a Swans
goal-kick, the ballboy's obvious attempt to delay the game's restart, prompted
an altercation, which resulted in an early bath for the Blues ace.
"The boy put his whole body on to the
ball and I was just trying to kick the ball," explained Hazard in the days
after the game. "I think I kicked the ball and not the boy. I apologise.
"The ballboy came in the changing room
and we had a quick chat and I apologised and the boy apologised as well. It is
over. Sorry."
Peter
Crouch | Tottenham Hotspur
After knocking out Inter Milan in the
previous round, Tottenham's hopes of Champions League glory were destroyed as
early as the 15th minute of their quarter-final first leg clash against Real Madrid
at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Peter Crouch's controversial sending off
following two soft yellow cards effectively ended Harry Redknapp's hopes of
masterminding another memorable European victory, this time over Jose Mourinho.
The nine-times winners ruthlessly punished
the England striker's indiscipline, crushing Spurs 4-0 after he was punished
for a quick succession of lunging tackles in the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid travelled to north London
completely in control of the tie, and after playing out a 1-0 victory at White
Hart Lane progressed to the semi-finals off the back of an emphatic 5-0
aggregate victory.
