Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has pleaded with Norwegian referee Svein Oddmar Moen to give his team a fair chance to overturn a two goal deficit from the first-leg last-16 Champions League match when they meet for the second-leg Tuesday night in Munich.
The Gunners boss stopped short of saying that he did not think the Norwegian Referee had the experience of officiating such a big match despite the fact Wenger feels hard done by some of the decisions that have gone against Arsenal in the past during big European matches.
Wenger picked out the time when Robin van Persie was given a red card after picking up his second yellow for kicking the ball away at the Nou Camp in 2011, and also the time in 2006 when goalkeeper Jens Lehmann got sent off early in the final against Barcelona.
Wenger when speaking to the Independent said: “Manchester City played with ten men [in their first leg tie], we played with ten men. Incidentally, we played now a few times with ten men in Europe and under always very special circumstances. In the Champions League final, now against Bayern, at Barcelona when we were in a position to qualify. It was a second yellow card.
“It’s the only time that I’ve seen that since watching European football … when Van Persie was sent off, so I hope [against Bayern] we will get a fair chance to play with 11 v 11 until the end.
When asked if he thought referee’s from outside Europe’s top leagues were suitable for big matches –a complaint made just a few weeks ago by Manuel Pellegrini against Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson, Wenger added that experience of being in the top leagues certainly helped.
Wenger said: “What you want is a good referee. I think the closer they are to a tough league, the more chances they have to detect the tricks that can decide a game. But that’s the same for Bayern.”
He added: “What I mean is sometimes when you come from a league that is a less pacey league … I don’t know the referee. Honestly, I never look at the referee before the game. I never have any preconceived ideas.
“Sometimes when the referees have a big experience it helps them to get out of tricky situations. I think you do not want players to stay on the pitch who deserve to be sent off but you do not as well … the interests of the game to be killed for reasons that are a bit tricky. To find that kind of balance, the experience of the referees is important.”
