Malaga players and officials blamed everyone but themselves for the club’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinal exit at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday night, as Borussia Dortmund pulled off oneof the greatest escapes in the competition’s history to win the game and the series, 3-2. After the game, Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini, midfielder Joaquin,and owner Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani suggested the Spanish side’s defeat came down to a conspiracy.
“On this occasion we could not, or they did not want us to, getthrough,” Pellegrini told reporters. “After we went 2-1 ahead there was no refereeing. They forced us back with elbows and shoves. There were two sendings off that were not given, a double offside inthe third goal which should not have counted.”
While Scottish referee Craig Thomson made several poor decisions during the game, Pellegrini neglected to mention thefact that Eliseu’s 82nd-minute goal, which made the score 2-1 in Malaga’s favor, was also offside.
Joaquin, who scored the game’s opening goal in the25th-minute, went a step further than his coach, suggesting that UEFA President Michel Platini, who imposed a European ban on Malaga for next season due to financial mismanagement,had something to do with the defeat. “We suspect Platini and all the rest of them who are involved,” he told Spanish radio. “Because we are Malaga and not Real Madrid it’s easier to do this tous.”
And finally, in a series of tweets on his officialTwitter feed, Malaga owner Al-Thani bizarrely blamed the defeat on “racism,” and called on UEFA to launch an inquiry. As it turns out, UEFA will be launching an inquiry, but not intothe “racism” alleged by Al-Thani. Rather, the European governing body has said it will examine the comments made by Malaga players and officials after the game.
Folks can sweep this under the rug, if they like. But Malaga have a point about the European ban. Why where they singled out for this? “Financial mismanagement”? What exactly is this financial mismanagement? Something stink about Platini’s “Financial Fair Play” initiative. It doesn’t seem to be about “fair play” at all, or it would address the ridiculously unfair distribution of revenues towards the Big Clubs. Instead it does indeed seem squarely aimed at teams like Malaga and Manchester City, who come into money via their new owners, and who to the Big Clubs are usurpers (Sir Alex so much as said so). So is Malaga wrong about a conspiracy? Maybe; the refereeing was indeed exceptionally poor. But once unfairly singled out, it’s hard not to be paranoid. As the saying goes, just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean someone isn’t out to get me.
Penalized for “financial mismanagement” — OMG, there would be no teams left in Europe!! Hey, great iidea, then MLS could have there pick of top players at cut rates!! C’mon Mr. Platini level the playing field.