- Title: PORTUGAL: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Arsene Wenger disputes Porto's Champions League goal
- Date: 18th February 2010
- Summary: OPORTO, PORTUGAL (FEBRUARY 17, 2010) (REUTERS) ARSENE WENGER, ARSENAL COACH, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENE WENGER, ARSENAL COACH, SAYING OF SOL CAMPBELL AND PORTO SECOND GOAL "No it is not blame. When you are playing at that level you do not want to concede goals like that and they were really disappointed that the referee allowed to play a quick free kick because basically or (either) the goalkeeper keeps the ball until everybody is back or he gives the ball back and that is the rule, is basically encouraging the players to be unfair. So you cannot accept the way the referee treated this rule because it is impossible to defend. If you give the ball back the guy gives a pass, it is a goal. So from a situation where (there) was no goal chance at all, the referee gives them -- no free kick as well -- the referee gives them just a goal. It is difficult to understand but maybe I am not intelligent enough" NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENE WENGER, ARSENAL COACH, SAYING: "They played well and overall we have the chance to turn the game around in the second game and that is what we will try to do and I am convinced that we will do it" JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTO COACH JESUALDO FERREIRA, SAYING OF PORTO SECOND GOAL: "The goal is legal. 'Professor' Wenger was angry and I would also be, but Arsenal won a game against Chelsea in 2004 in the last minute with a free kick like that, so you must remember that also happened. This happens to all coaches and it has happened to me and we don't know who to be angry at, the referee or our players" NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) JESUALDO FERREIRA, SAYING: "We started the game very well and I think that after 90 minutes Porto won well and I think we had enough situations to score another goal. Arsenal dominated more in certain moments. There were others when they didn't and the most fair analysis is that it was a balanced game" JESUALDO FERREIRA LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 5th March 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Portugal
- Country: Portugal
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA386H1U77Z2S61BTMKGVJZ8Y2K
- Story Text: Porto beat Arsenal 2-1 at home on Wednesday (February 17) in their Champions League last-16 first leg match, but coach Arsene Wenger disputed the second goal.
Arsenal coach Wenger was left fuming at referee Martin Hansson for the 51st-minute goal.
Defender Sol Cambell appeared to kick back to reserve goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski who picked the ball up. Ruben Micael quickly took the resulting indirect free kick in the box to give Falcao the easiest of tap-ins.
Asked at a news conference afterwards who he blamed, Wenger said: "No it is not blame. When you are playing at that level you do not want to concede goals like that and they were really disappointed that the referee allowed to play a quick free kick because basically or (either) the goalkeeper keeps the ball until everybody is back or he gives the ball back and that is the rule, is basically encouraging the players to be unfair. So you cannot accept the way the referee treated this rule because it is impossible to defend. If you give the ball back the guy gives a pass, it is a goal. So from a situation where (there) was no goal chance at all, the referee gives them -- no free kick as well -- the referee gives them just a goal. It is difficult to understand but maybe I am not intelligent enough," Wenger told reporters.
He said he was confident that Arsenal would p[rogress to the next round.
"They played well and overall we have the chance to turn the game around in the second game and that is what we will try to do and I am convinced that we will do it," said Wenger.
Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira had words of sympathy for Wenger but said the goal was legitimate.
"The goal is legal. 'Professor' Wenger was angry and I would also be, but Arsenal won a game against Chelsea in 2004 in the last minute with a free kick like that, so you must remember that also happened. This happens to all coaches and it has happened to me and we don't know who to be angry at, the referee or our players," said Ferreira.
He said the game was balanced.
"We started the game very well and I think that after 90 minutes Porto won well and I think we had enough situations to score another goal. Arsenal dominated more in certain moments. There were others when they didn't and the most fair analysis is that it was a balanced game," said Ferreira. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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