'The second penalty is a disgrace' - De Zerbi fuming over refereeing against Madrid

Olympique Marseille coach Roberto de Zerbi stated that the penalty awarded for a handball by Facundo Medina in the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid was “a bit of a disgrace,” adding that he would have said the same even if it had been awarded to his own team. “The second penalty is a bit of a disgrace; it wasn't a penalty. It never is. I would have said it even if it was in favour of my team,” he said in a press conference.

“When I say the penalty is a disgrace, there's no thought behind it - that it was to compensate Real Madrid for Carvajal's sending off. I don't want to refer to that in any way,” he added. He also referred to Dani Carvajal's red card after he appeared to headbutt Geronimo Rulli. “In those head-to-head clashes, the expulsions are excessive. He doesn't hit him, he leans in, but that's the rule. When someone leans their head in like that and doesn't strike a blow, I wouldn't show the red card; but that's just my opinion because I don't consider it violent,” he analysed.

De Zerbi said he was “proud” of his team, although he felt that they “could have done more” to achieve a better result, especially after Dani Carvajal's dismissal in the 72nd minute. “We could have achieved a significant result here. My team has a lot of new players and I know perfectly well that it isn't easy to immediately find the right connections between the players. However, we could have done a bit more,” he said.

“But it's not a criticism, it's because of their qualities. We came onto the pitch with fear and timidity. Then, we loosened up and played better. After Carvajal's sending off, we weren't able to go for the match; it was the moment to take a few more risks,” he continued. “Having said that, I'm proud of my team for their effort with so many new players,” he concluded.

Despite the defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu, he expressed confidence in the quality of his team and their ability to build a good project for the future. “We have a very strong team. I hope that we can all work in the right direction so that Olympique Marseille reaches a higher level,” he declared.