As Manchester United easily defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday night, captain Bruno Fernandes set out the rules for the Spanish media, clearly arguing that Dani Vivian’s red card and the penalty that followed were appropriate.
The 35th minute was the crucial time. Initially, it appeared that Vivian had just given Rasmus Hojlund a gentle shove, but she was caught in VAR’s double jeopardy, which resulted in a penalty and a red card. However, Fernandes has subsequently taken the initiative to make the laws more clear, carrying out a large portion of the labor-intensive work to quell any debate and bolster the call’s legitimacy. See the following incident at 2:06:
Both English teams now have a firm footing in the final, which is scheduled for May 21 at San Mames Stadium, after Tottenham also defeated Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg. Additionally, any accusations that United benefited from lax officiating appear to have been dispelled by Fernandes’ astute rebuttal of the rules.
Fernandes Explains To Spanish Press Why Vivian Was Dismissed
The 30-year-old wasn’t about to let Bilbao’s defeat be blamed on unjust decisions
Bruno Fernandes simply laughed off the idea that the referee had “harmed” Athletic with his decision. “Do you think it wasn’t a penalty?” he asked. “I think it could have been a penalty, but no – it wasn’t a red card,” the reporter said. Many people still don’t understand the rule change made by football’s lawmakers, IFAB, in 2016. Fernandes pointed out that a red card still applies if there isn’t a genuine attempt to play the ball. In this instance, he corrected the record: that was exactly why Dani Vivian was sent off.
“Why wasn’t it a penalty? Do you know the rules? I’ll explain. Yes, you try to make a tackle with your feet, but the way he pushes him with his hands, it has to be a red.”
Fernandes wasn’t letting the Spanish media get away with their judgment over the more general suggestion that the referee influenced the game. “I think talking about the referee here is a custom that exists a lot in Spain and Portugal,” he stated.
But now that I’m in England, I’ve had a change of heart. Referees make mistakes just like everyone else, so I won’t do it. However, I don’t believe he erred today.”
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