Villarreal’s chief executive has slammed the referee for a decision made during their defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final.
The Reds claimed a 3-2 victory over the Spanish outfit in the second leg of their semi-final, to book a place in the final in Paris later this month.
Jurgen Klopp’s side initially trailed 2-0 thanks to early goals from Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin. But Liverpool responded in the second half, with goals from Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane seeing the visitors over the line.
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However, before Coquelin made it 2-0 to Villarreal, the La Liga club wanted a penalty after a collision between Alisson Becker and Giovani Lo Celso. Referee Danny Makkelie waved away the penalty appeals from the Villarreal players, and VAR saw no need to intervene.
That decision has not gone down well with Villarreal’s CEO Fernando Roig Negueroles, who has criticised Makkelie saying he was “not up to the standard” to referee the match.
"It was an outrageous penalty decision," Negueroles told Movistar, via Marca . "The referee was of no level for this game.
"I don't see any possible interpretation. The refereeing has been terrible, it has always gone in their favour.
"It's no excuse, because they were superior and could have won by more, but this refereeing is not up to standard for a time like this.
"There were a lot small actions that have gone in their favour.
"There were three fouls on the edge of the box in the first half, the set piece is very important and we couldn't get it.
"I'm not too annoyed, I'm proud to get this far, but the refereeing was very bad."
