UEFA To Discuss Fletcher Red Card

By: Wayne Farry | May 8th, 2009

We’ll find out Monday whether the appeal against Fletcher’s red card in Tuesday’s Semi-Final is successful after UEFA agreed to discuss the decision at a disciplinary meeting. Here’s the UEFA statement:

“UEFA has received a submission from Manchester United FC concerning the red card shown to the club’s player Darren Fletcher in the UEFA Champions League Semi-Final Second Leg against Arsenal FC in London on Tuesday. The UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body will meet on Monday to deal with this case.”

It’s still not looking great to be honest. After having some time to digest the decision, it’s hard to blame the ref. He made an honest decision from how he saw it. It wasn’t clear-cut like Pique’s hand ball against Chelsea, it was a tough decision and he made it best that he could from his position. That doesn’t make it a good decision, but it’s hard to be too angry.

While I still don’t expect this decision to overturned, if only for the rules, it appears to be a step in the right direction from UEFA, because at least they’re entertaining he idea of an appael. Hopefully this incident will make them realise that there should be an appeals process for all dubious red cards, and that it should be implemented as soon as possible.

Fergie has spoken about it, simply saying that he doesn’t expect a positive decision. Interesting to note how calm he’s been about the whole, something I think has to do with his current personal strife. Maybe it’s put things into perspective for him.

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Category: Manchester United

Tags: Champions League, Darren Fletcher, Manchester United, Roberto Rosetti, Sir Alex Ferguson, UEFA

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Comments  

• Taylor Rockwell |  May 8th, 2009 at 4:52 pm

  
  
  

  Hello all… two things:

  1) I had surgery on my right knee this afternoon, so I don’t know how frequently I’ll be on here in the next few days. If I do post some stuff, and it makes absolutely no sense, then just assume I’m drugged out of my skull

  2) If Fletcher’s card gets overturned, how long do you think it will take Barca to lodge their own appeal? Would it be justified?

  Posted from United States

  

• Wayne Farry |  May 8th, 2009 at 5:25 pm

  
  
  

  Sweet, can’t wait for the nonsensical ramblings of you pepped up on goofballs.

  Posted from Ireland

  

• miele |  May 8th, 2009 at 8:57 pm

  
  
  

  Yeah Taylor, get rambling now that u have a valid / legal excuse to get drugged up. Get well soon though. Do you feel like you’re Hargreaves now? *wink*

  Posted from United States

  

• martin |  May 9th, 2009 at 2:20 am

  
  
  

  My interpretation of Ferguson’s coolness on this incident – maybe he never intended to play fletcher anyway…so he doesn’t mind if the card is rescinded or not.

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• Wayne Farry |  May 9th, 2009 at 3:44 am

  
  
  

  That could be it martin, but Fergie said recently that although there was a small possibility Fletch wouldn’t have been involved, there’s was a very good chance that he’d be heavily feature.

  So he probably had plans to involve him somehow. Maybe he’s chilled about because he knows there really is nothing he can do.

  Posted from Ireland

  

• SP |  May 9th, 2009 at 5:12 am

  
  
  

  i remember reading somewhere that abidal took blame for his red, which is surprising in that he didnt even touch anelka so maybe that would prevent barca from launching their own appeal bc guaranteed they would have done it by now

  Posted from United States

  

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