Pellegrini courts trouble with referee rant

MANCHESTER City boss Manuel Pellegrini could face disciplinary action from UEFA after accusing Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson of “lacking impartiality” during the 2–0 defeat by Barcelona.

Pellegrini said Eriksson was “on Barcelona’s side from beginning to end” and was trying to make up for a previous mistake against the Catalan side. He also questioned UEFA’s decision to appoint an official from Sweden for the Champions League last-16 match.

UEFA is likely to take a dim view. In 2011 it banned Jose Mourinho for five matches (reduced on appeal) for a similar rant.

Pellegrini’s comments overshadowed a game which was decided by Lionel Messi’s penalty, which led to Martin Demichelis’ dismissal, and Dani Alves’ last–minute strike.

The City manager claimed the foul by Demichelis was outside the box and that Eriksson should have given City a free–kick earlier in the move for a challenge on Jesus Navas by Sergio Busquets.

He said: “From the beginning I felt the referee was not impartial so he decided the game with a foul that he didn’t whistle against and a penalty with Demichelis that was not a penalty, it was outside the box. He was on the side of Barcelona from the beginning until the end.”

Captain Vincent Kompany also claimed after the game that Barca were “in no way superior” to City and had been “there for the taking”.