27/05/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | MAY 27, 2025

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Villa file complaint over choice of referee

Maresca blasts critics after Blues qualify for C. League ENZO MARESCA launched a foul mouthed rant at Chelsea’s critics after his team qualified for the Champions League with a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest yesterday. Levi Colwill’s 50th-minute tap-in booked Chelsea’s return to Europe’s elite club competition after a two year absence. The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League, shattering seventh-placed Forest’s own bid for a top five berth. Chelsea can complete a memorable first season in charge for Maresca by beating Real Betis in Thursday’s (3am Malaysian time) Conference League final in Poland. Having led the youngest team in Premier League history into the Champions League, Maresca was happy to shove the taunts back down his critics’ throats. “I didn’t have any doubt, to be honest, about the players, I said that the doubt was from outside,” he said. “All the ones that think they are the answer, or all the ones that they are the truth, they were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough. “They were saying that we were not able to win on this pitch because we are too young, because we are not experienced. “Unfortunately for them, they’ll be all wrong, the ones that think they are the truth and they have the answer for everything. “In English we say ‘F Off’ to all of them. The players, they deserve that, I have said before, they have been fantastic.” Forest had to win and hope other results went their way to reach the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81. Despite Newcastle and Aston Villa losing, Forest will play in the third-tier Conference League next season. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were able to win only one of their last five games, but the Portuguese said the season was a success. “When you look back at all of the season, I think it’s a good season. We have been able to improve many things in our team and we have a good platform,” he said. “We should be proud of the way we have a group of people who want to help each other to improve, including through bad times like today. We stick together. “We are disappointed. But in a couple of hours you will look back and realise it’s been good.” – AFP

Ű BY SIMON PEACH

“The complaint is not about the decision. “The complaint is about the selection of the referee – one of the most inexperienced referees for one of the most difficult matches of the season, involving another four or five teams. “The decision is clear. It’s a mistake. The referee apologised for the mistake, so we can do nothing. “The problem is why the experienced referees, international referees were not here today.” Villa boss Emery, who walked off the field talking to referee Bramall, said: “We scored one goal and normally this goal, if the referee was under his control, to wait before whistling for this action, I think it (would have been) a goal after VAR. “But we are making mistakes, the players are making mistakes and the referees, sometimes they are making mistakes. “We have to accept it. We lost and we didn’t deserve more.” – The Independent

whistle was blown by the referee before the ball entered the goal” – a body blow quickly followed by Amad Diallo and Christian Eriksen strikes. Villa’s 2-0 defeat saw them finish sixth and miss out on Champions League qualification, with the club later confirming they had lodged a complaint with the Premier League. “With such high stakes surrounding the fixture, the club believe a more experienced referee should have been appointed. “Of the 10 referees to officiate across the Premier League today, Bramall was the second least experienced,” a statement said. “The decision to disallow Morgan Rogers’ goal, which would have given the club a 1-0 lead with 17 minutes remaining in the match, was a major contributing factor to the club not qualifying for the Champions League.” Villa director of football Damian Vidagany said:

ASTON VILLA have made an official complaint to the Premier League over the choice of referee for their key clash at Manchester United after seeing a goal controversially ruled out as they failed to qualify for the Champions League. Unai Emery’s men struggled at Old Trafford and life was made harder by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s sending-off just before halftime, yet they looked to have taken the lead through Morgan Rogers in the 73rd minute. United’s back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayindir did not have the ball in control when it was taken out of his hands by the Villa man, but referee Thomas Bramall had blown for a foul before his strike found the net. The Premier League match centre confirmed“the incident was not reviewable by the VAR” as “the

‘Good days are coming’ Amorim vows to turn around Man Utd after disaster season

see you next season.” United bade farewell to Victor Lindelof, Eriksen and Jonny Evans ahead of a lap of appreciation – before heading straight to the airport for money-spinning friendlies in Malaysia and and Hong Kong. United have to make money where they can to help fund Amorim’s rebuild having missed out on Champions League qualification, and an estimated £100 million (RM550m) windfall, by losing to Spurs in Bilbao. Sweeping changes are needed to shape the side in the Portuguese’s image three years after interim boss Ralf Rangnick warned the club needed “open-heart surgery”.

want to say is thank you. We are very grateful for your support during the season and I know that was really hard. “I know it was really hard to support us in many games but now we have to make a choice or we stay stuck in the past – because this season is in the past, it’s over. “We fight each other, or we stick together and move forward. “Six months ago, in my first three games in charge, with two victories and one draw, I said to you ‘the storm is coming.’ “Today, after this disaster season, I want to tell you the good days are coming.

Ű BY SIMON PEACH

R UBEN AMORIM told fans “the good days are coming” as Manchester United’s head coach apologised for a wretched campaign during an impassioned end-of-season address. Last week’s Europa League final defeat to fellow Premier League strugglers Tottenham compounded the Red Devils’ worst top-flight campaign since relegation in 1973 74. United ended the campaign 15th in the standings after yesterday’s 2-0 win against Champions League chasing Aston Villa, which came thanks to Amad Diallo’s header and a penalty from

“If there is one club in the world that proved in the past that it can overcome any situation, any disaster, it’s our club, i t ’ s

Asked if things were still as drastic as that, Amorim said: “No, I think we did a lot of changes as a club in this maybe six months. “We changed maybe so many things that a normal club could do in three years. A lot of people leaving and in the day-by day, the way we behave, who is in charge in Carrington, who decides things. “That is really important. If you look in the past, I think that was a characteristic of this club, that the culture, the standards were really high.” Pushed on how much the

departing Christian Eriksen and was aided by a controversial disallowed goal for Villa. Amo r i m took to the field with his players shortly after the whistle to address the Old Trafford crowd. “I want to

apologise for this season,” said the head coach, who succeeded Erik ten Hag in November. “I know you are really disappointed with me and with the team. “The second thing I

Manchester United Football Club.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim talks to fans after the match against Aston Villa. – REUTERSPIC

“Now I want to say sorry players. Sometimes I was not fair, but I try always to be honest with you guys. Thank you very much, to my

squad needs changing, Amorim added: “It’s hard to talk about that because we have the (financial) fair play rules and we are limited, especially this year, so we need to be patient.” – The Independent

also

Ű BY DAMIAN SPELLMAN

Howe to strengthen Newcastle after securing ticket to Europe

NEWCASTLE boss Eddie Howe is hoping the power and pull of the Champions League will help him strengthen his squad this summer after surviving a final-day scare. Yesterday’s 1-0 home defeat to Everton left the Magpies sweating over a place in the Premier League’s top five, and they ultimately needed a helping hand from elsewhere to add qualification to their Carabao Cup success. However Howe, who has been unable to make a single major signing in the last three transfer

65th-minute lead, the dream was hanging by a thread. Howe’s side were a long way from their fluent best as the enormity of what was at stake appeared to weigh heavily on them, but ultimately results elsewhere – Chelsea won at Nottingham Forest and 10-man Aston Villa lost 2 0 at Manchester United – saw them prevail on goal difference to spark wild celebrations after the final whistle. – The Independent

an opportunity for us to sell that dream to future players that might be considering coming to us. “We’ve got to get the financials right, we’ve got to get every other aspect of trying to sign players here right, and hopefully we can do that.” The equation for Newcastle before kickoff was straightforward: win and Champions League football was guaranteed. But Everton had very different ideas and, when Charly Alcaraz headed the visitors into a

windows while seeing Elliot Anderson, Yankuba Minteh, Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly leave St James’ Park as the club battled to meet spending restrictions, will head into the close-season determined to address that. He said: “The power of the Champions League and the pull of the Champions League is huge and we can’t get away from that, the excitement that this will bring for the people here. “And of course it’s a selling point for us now, it’s