Queen of the South manager Marvin Bartley has given an excellent take on Daizen Maeda’s red card from Tuesday’s game against Atletico Madrid.
Speaking to Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Bartley leapt to the defence of the Japanese attacker after being prompted by host Gordon Duncan.
Maeda was shown the red after closing down Atletico defender Hermoso. The theatrics from the hosts and their bench were embarrassing but they managed to convince the referee, along with the official in the VAR suite, to check out the decision.
It was an incredible decision. The full speed incident, which the official was well placed to see, had Maeda closing down the defender, who booted the ball clear before a collision. It was late and was probably a harsh yellow, given the circumstances. Once slowed down, context of the incident changes greatly and you have what looks like a cynical offence.
Ironically, UEFA picked this week to have a campaign to introduce aspiring referees to get involved. With their autonomy being eroded with each passing game, you’d struggle to attract many people.
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