Pep plea after penalty farce
– Manchester City needed no help to swat aside Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 to move to the brink of the Champions League last-16, but got a boost with a farcical penalty award that led to even manager Pep Guardiola to call for the introduction of VAR.
Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai remarkably pointed to the spot when Raheem Sterling tripped himself up as he bore down on goal midway through the first half with City already leading 1-0 through David Silva’s opener.
“It’s not a penalty,” said Guardiola. “VAR doesn’t exist in Uefa so that is the problem.”
Despite some controversial calls, the use of video referees was largely successful at the World Cup and will be introduced in the Champions League next season.
However, Guardiola, who was sent to the stands for protesting a goal City had wrongly ruled out in a quarterfinal elimination to Liverpool last season, called for it to be used this term.
“The referee must be helped by the technology. It’s not nice to score in that way but it happened to us last season against Liverpool so the referee must be helped.”
Sterling also apologised to Kassai after kicking the ground as he attempted a chip.
“I went to chip the ball and don’t know what happened,” said the England international. “I didn’t feel contact. I scuffed the ball, apologies to the ref.”
Ahead of the game City had been in the news for the wrong reasons in recent days with a series of allegations published by German magazine Der Spiegel claiming the English champions attempted to bypass Uefa’s Financial Fair Play regulations.
It appears they can do no wrong on the field as they warmed up for the Manchester derby on Sunday by smashing six goals for the second time in four days.
A lack of atmosphere had been blamed for City’s surprising record of three defeats in their previous three Champions League games at home.
This has now been long forgotten as back-to-back victories over Shakhtar and Hoffenheim have put City in a commanding position at the top of the group. –
Manchester