PSG PLAYERS ACCUSE REF OF SWEARING AT THEM IN CITY LOSS
Paris Saint-Germain midfield pair Marco Verratti and Ander Herrera have accused referee Bjorn Kuipers of insulting the club’s players during their Champions League semi-final defeat to Manchester City.
Verratti claimed he was sworn at by Kuipers, while Herrera alleged he heard team-mate Leandro Paredes being verbally abused by the Dutch official at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Kuipers sent off Angel Di Maria in the 69th minute for an off-the-ball stamp on City midfielder Fernandinho as the Premier League leaders sealed a 2-0 win on the night to progress to the final 4-1 on aggregate.
Speaking to newsmen in Italy, Verratti said: “I think the best thing to do is to take a good look at each other, we were in the race until Di Maria was sent off. At that point, we needed a miracle.
“The only thing I don’t like is when the referee abused you. We always try to be respectful, but he did that three or four times during the game.
“He started giving yellow cards here and there and we became a little nervous. It’s not his fault. Manchester City deserve to qualify, they have great players. We could have done more in the first leg.”
PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino has suggested there should be an investigation into the claims by governing body UEFA.
In a TV interview, Verratti explained that Pochettino said in his post-match news conference. “We need to believe in what they are telling us.
“I didn’t hear nothing from the touchline. If something is there and it is how they explained it, maybe UEFA will investigate the situation.
“That is not an excuse. The most important thing is that we’re not in the final, that is why we feel really sad.”
