Man United’s Nani handed one-game ban, Ferguson fined £8,500
Nani is handed a one-game ban by Uefa following his sending-off against Real Madrid, while Sir Alex Ferguson is fined £8,500
Nani has been handed a one-game ban by Uefa following his red card against Real Madrid in the Champions League last-16 clash at Old Trafford earlier this month.
Uefa’s control and disciplinary body ruled that the Portuguese winger’s second-half challenge on Alvaro Arbeloa – deemed on the night to be worthy of a straight red card by Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir – merited no more than the mandatory one-match punishment.
Nani, 26, will therefore miss the first game of United’s 2013-14 Champions League campaign should the Red Devils qualify.
Meanwhile, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been fined €10,000 (£8,500) for the “non-fulfilment of the post-match media obligations at the same match”.
On Thursday, United striker Robin van Persie claimed that Nani’s tackle “was not even a free-kick”.
He said: “It was not even a yellow card or a free-kick. Nani couldn’t do anything about it, he hardly touched Arbeloa.
“The worst thing is that Uefa supports him. That’s cowardly, because I really don’t understand it. Why don’t they just be honest and say: ‘He hasn’t seen it’?
“I didn’t understand before the game that this man would be the referee, such an unknown referee who hasn’t been in charge of a big games for months.”
