Referee who kicked out at Diego Carlos reveals 'Remontada' lie to Emery

In March 2018, one of the greatest comebacks in footballing history took place. Barcelona beat Unai Emery's fearful PSG side 6-1 after the French side had got a 4-0 first leg lead in the Champions League last 16. 

Deniz Aytekin's refereeing performance was rather controversial as Barcelona received a highly controversial penalty on Luis Suarez while Mascherano could have been sent off. Therefore, Emery wanted to hear what other referees thought of it. 

Former French referee Tony Chapron, who would later hit the headlines after kicking out at Diego Carlos during Nantes game with PSG, took charge of PSG's match with Lorient just three days after the Barca defeat. Chapron revealed that Emery went to his dressing room to ask him about what had happened with Aytekin at the Camp Nou. 

"I thought that he had come to contest a decision I had made, but not at all. He said to me: 'Mr Chapron, I have a question for you about the Barcelona match. Can you explain the referee's decisions to me?" he told 'Canal+ France'. 

Chapron preferred to lie to Emery rather than analyse the encounter: "When you're a referee, you have to be united. I lied to Unai Emery, I told him that I hadn't seen the game. I didn't want to admit to him, even if I thought it, that the referee made a mistake that night."

"Probably that is what he wanted to hear, but it wasn't the time. So I didn't do it. Now, after five years, I can say it and, maybe, now I've retired, it's easier to say that we're humans and we also make mistakes," the former referee concluded.