THE CONTROVERSY over Vincent Kompany’s red card escalated yesterday after players from the two Manchester teams used Twitter to argue about the merits of the sending-off and Rio Ferdinand was branded a “big baby” for questioning why there was sympathy for the City captain.
Ferdinand had joined Wayne Rooney in arguing that the referee, Chris Foy, was right to show Kompany a red card that will almost certainly result in the Belgian defender serving a four-match ban. “How can there be any debate about the red card yesterday?? You leave the ground with a 2footTackle = red card,” said Ferdinand.
Rooney also hit back at Roberto Mancini’s allegations he influenced Foy’s decision. Rooney’s message said: “Funny how people think I got Kompany sent off. I’m not ref. I didn’t give red card. But it was a clear red card. 2 footed tackle.”
City’s reserve striker Alex Nimely then posted on his account, saying: “Rio Ferdinand needs to stop been (sic) a big baby.”
City have lodged an appeal with the English FA, to be heard today, in a last attempt to prevent Kompany missing both legs of the League Cup semi-final against Liverpool as well as two league games. The chances of the decision being overturned are slim, however, with City needing to demonstrate Foy made a clear mistake.
Mancini’s anger was clear after the match when he accused Rooney of deliberately influencing the referee by demanding a red card. Rooney, he said, had “told him [Foy] his decision”.
Alex Ferguson, however, brushed aside the accusation. “I have no concerns about the behaviour in that respect because to my mind it was a reckless challenge and Nani is a very lucky boy because he didn’t get a bad injury. I have no complaints about Wayne, I don’t think it was unacceptable what he did. I think it was a natural reaction to a bad challenge. But I can understand where Roberto’s coming from because that’s what happens with players today, they all appeal for penalties or players to be sent off.”
City’s appeal is based on the fact Kompany did not connect, or hurt, Nani when he slid into the 12th-minute tackle in United’s 3-2 win. Yet Kompany left the floor with both feet raised.
Ferguson described Kompany’s tackle after the match as dangerous, arguing that Nani could have been injured. Kompany said on Twitter he was “surprised” by those comments and the City defender Micah Richards said: “The decision killed the game. We’ve watched it again 10 or 20 times and it was never a red card. I think for the 10 minutes before that we were battering them. Vinnie is obviously disappointed and, if it had been 11 v 11, it would have been a different game.”
Foy has received a vote of confidence from his employers in his appointment to take charge of Newcastle United’s Premier League match at home against Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.
Foy also came under fire from Ferguson, who berated the official for denying United what appeared to be a penalty in the second half, when Antonio Valencia was brought down.
