by azriahmad » Sat Sep 18, 2004 12:06 pm
People,
While on the subject of refs who tended to give decisions against Liverpool, I have just read an article in the Independent. Here is an extract:-
The accents may be different, but for Rafael Benitez the passions will be very familiar at Old Trafford on Monday. He may just hope the referee is better.
Benitez may not have experienced the bitter intensity of a Liverpool-Manchester United derby before, but he expects the atmosphere to resemble the one which he encountered when taking Valencia to Real Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
"Everyone is telling me this is the biggest game so far," he said yesterday. "All I hope is that in the future people are saying the same about other matches because that will mean we are doing well and challenging for the title. But I do understand the importance of the game and what the atmosphere will be like. I have been to matches at Old Trafford, remember the atmosphere, and I am looking forward to it."
He added: "I enjoy the atmosphere at English grounds. The fans are excited, they shout at each other, but at the end they walk out together. It is not always like that in Spain. I expect this match will be like it was when Valencia played Real Madrid in recent years. The atmosphere around the game is wonderful, and sometimes the referee is the most important person on the pitch."
That final comment was telling. Last season Valencia were seconds from winning in Madrid when the referee awarded a highly controversial penalty for an alleged push on Raul. Valencia still won the championship, but a group of supporters and shareholders were so incensed they sued the referee for negligence. Yesterday, a Valencia court determined the case could go forward.
It seems that we fans can sue the ref... This will be a landmark case if they get a judgement in their favour!