Liam Rosenior was left "particularly angry" at a referee decision as he claimed that Marseille's Nayef Aguerd should have been sent off for a foul on Emanuel Emegha. Friday night at the Meinau turned into heartbreak for the hosts, who saw their 1-0 lead evaporate in a cruel late collapse in the Ligue 1 encounter against Marseille.
Comeback win for Marseille
Abdoul Ouattara’s strike straight after the interval had lifted Strasbourg temporarily to the top end of Ligue 1, but it all fell apart as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang levelled on 78 minutes before Amir Murillo smashed home in stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win for OM.
AdvertisementAFPAnger at the officials boils over
Rosenior went after referee Jeremie Pignard, accusing him of making a game-changing blunder. Early in the second half, Racing forward Emegha looked through on goal when he was brought down by Marseille defender Aguerd. Rosenior is adamant that the Moroccan should have seen red.
"I didn't see the action again, but for me it deserved a second yellow for Aguerd. It was a key moment," he claimed.
Rosenior’s fury reached boiling point when recalling the 70th-minute incident involving Joaquin Panichelli. The young forward was struck in the head and left sprawled on the turf, but referee Pignard allowed play to continue.
"I was especially angry when the referee didn't stop play while Joaquin Panichelli was on the ground, hit in the head. He was knocked out," Rosenior added.
Decisions piling up against Strasbourg
It wasn’t the first time Strasbourg have felt hard done by this season, and Rosenior made sure everyone knew it. He reminded reporters of a similar controversy in the loss to Monaco, calling it another decision that swung against them. His voice dripped with exasperation as he added: "We lost in Monaco and against OM, with two controversial decisions against us."
AFPEuropa night looms
For Strasbourg, the defeat leaves them sitting in fifth place in the league, respectable, but with the bitter taste of wasted opportunity. Their attention now shifts quickly to European matters. On Thursday, they travel to Slovakia to take on Slovan Bratislava in the Conference League, a chance to channel their frustration into something positive.