Tottenham Hotspur’s http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jermaine-Jenas-c18362 blames inexperienced referee for Champions League exit
Tottenham Hotspur’s Jermain Jenas believes his side’s hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the Champions League were dealt a huge blow by the inexperience of match referee Felix Brych.
Jenas believes that the official’s sending-off of Peter Crouch was harsh, and that decision could ultimately have cost Spurs the tie.
Tottenham faced Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, 5 April, 2011. Referee Felix Brych, officiating his 12th Champions League game, sent-off Spurs striker Peter Crouch for a
second bookable offence in the 15th minute.
Real Madrid’s http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Emmanuel-Adebayor-c12526 had already scored within the first ten minutes, and Crouch’s dismissal made an uphill task for Tottenham almost impossible. The visitors conceded three more goals in the second half.
Real Madrid now have a commanding four-goal lead in the tie, leaving Spurs with the unenviable task of overcoming that huge deficit when Madrid visit White Hart Lane for the second leg in two weeks time.
Spurs player Jermain Jenas blamed referee Felix Brych for his ‘rash’ decision to send off Peter Crouch with 75 minutes left to play. He claimed that the referee should have been a bit more lenient, seeing as how both fouls were committed deep inside Madrid’s
own half, and it was still early on in the game.
Speaking after his side’s defeat to Real Madrid, Jenas said, “I think the referee was a little bit rash. Maybe it was inexperience on his part more than anything. At some point you have a word, you just talk to the player, rather than dishing out cards every
two minutes.”
However, Jenas does not blame http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Peter-Crouch-c29741 for the defeat. He believes that the enormity of situation probably got the better of his teammate.
Jenas added, “He was disappointed, as any professional would be. He knew what he did probably wasn't a sensible decision, but everybody was so fired up for the game and these things can happen. We were up against Real Madrid with 10 men for 75 minutes. We
stood up to them for a bit but it wasn't enough.”
Tottenham are currently in fifth place in the Premier League standings.
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