Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino told the press post-match that he hopes there will be an investigation into allegations that referee Bjorn Kuipers swore at his players during their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Pochettino could do little more than stand and watch as his PSG side fell apart at the Etihad, first in terms of the scoreline, and then losing their tempers, with Angel Di Maria sent off for a quite shocking stamp on Man City midfielder Fernandinho.
Referee Bjorn Kuipers was well within his rights to brandish the red card, and did a pretty good job of officiating a game in which emotions were running high and tempers eventually began to flare.
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However, as reported by RMC Sport, there were allegations made post-match by PSG duo Leandro Paredes and Marco Verratti that Kuipers had verbally abused them, telling the players to “f*** off’.
“The only thing I don’t like is when the referee tells you to “f*** off”, we always try to be respectful, but he did that three or four times during the game.”
Pochettino has been quoted by Sky Sports revealing his belief that there needs to be an investigation into Kuipers’ behaviour on the night, and if these comments were made, he needs to be disciplined accordingly.
“Verratti explained to the TV in an interview. We need to believe in what they are telling us.”
“I didn’t hear nothing from the touchline. If something is there and it is how they explain, maybe UEFA will investigate the situation.”
“That is not an excuse. The most important is that we’re not in the final, that is why we feel really sad.”
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