The issue of justice has always been questioned in the world of football and it will probably always remain this way. At times, blatant mistakes from officials keep going uncorrected and terrible tackles from players go unpunished only to tarnish the aim of the beautiful game which is to entertain and unite, instead of creating strong resentment between its fans.
In England recently, Manchester United were in the middle of two different types of controversial judgement. Firstly, their striker Wayne Rooney escaped a ban from the FA after being guilty of an elbow incident against Wigan’s McCarthy which appeared to be worth a red card.
And while Fergie’s Red Devils celebrated the final verdict with much relief, a portion of the public was left shocked and angered. Wigan’s furious Dave Whelan even went on to wonder whether the FA had “one set of rules for one club and another for the rest”.
Well, somehow, the English FA answered Whelan’s interrogation with a “no”. How? Just think about the controversy that surrounded the Red Devils' defeat against Chelsea lately. Or else, just look back at what happened when Manchester United took on Liverpool last weekend.
It is alarming to know that Jamie Carragher avoided a red card or any further punishment after terribly injuring Nani during that game. Being aware that the Liverpool defender cut a bone in Nani’s leg, one may want to ask what kind of tackle, then, deserves a sending off.
As controversy never seems to end in football, a number of incidents in Tuesday night’s Champions League game between Barcelona and Arsenal left the Gunners fuming. The biggest talking point was about Robin van Persie’s strange sending off. The Dutch player was accused of time wasting and indiscipline for playing whereas Massimo Busacca’s whistle had gone up for offside.
But Van Persie, who claimed to have not heard the call because of the intense noise at the Camp Nou, branded the referee as a “joke”. Note: Arsenal can forget about appealing the striker’s red card as it’s been confirmed that UEFA are not thinking about overturning Busacca’s final decision.
“Under Article 44.4 of UEFA's disciplinary regulations, appeals are only allowed against cautions on the grounds of mistaken identity,” a spokesman stated according to The Sun.
That’s not the type of info that the Gunners and Van Persie wanted to hear. Definitely not.
Wenger,
meanwhile, couldn’t explain his fury at the red card incident any better:
“It's not a surprise that the referee didn't book a single Barcelona player. I just spoke to [the] Uefa people. They are shocked as well.
“He [Massimo Busacca] killed a promising and fantastic football match. What for? If it's a bad tackle, it's a second bookable offence. But the way he did it, it's embarrassing, if you love the game.
“If you have played football at a certain level you cannot understand that decision. It's impossible.”
However, these comments are not what could earn Arsene Wenger a fine from UEFA. It is his verbal confrontation with Massimo Busacca that may cost him a two-match ban. That’s the law for “pestering or insulting any match official” as Article 10 of UEFA’s book rule reveals. Of course, Samir Nasri has joined the Arsenal manager on the list for a prospective ban as he was involved in Wenger and Busacca’s F-word language and gestures dispute in the tunnel.
It is said that there is freedom of speech in football, but the emotion of provocation created by strange judgements from official is yet to be understood. It may never be, in fact, and coaches and players will keep receiving bans for failing to control their fury in tough situations.
