Monday, April 28, 2008

Mancini: No Matrix Red, No Liverpool Win

Roberto Mancini has hit out at the red card that Marco Materazzi received in Inter’s Champions League last 16 first leg at Anfield in February, and says that Liverpool would never have won the tie if he had stayed on the field.

Materazzi was on the scoresheet yesterday, as he came off the bench to score the second goal in Inter’s 2-1 win over Cagliari.

The 34-year-old displayed an angry celebration after scoring, and this has led to talk in the Italian press that the defender was annoyed with Coach Roberto Mancini for not starting him.

Mancini has hit out at this speculation.

"I'm tired of these accusations,” he said, referring to the numerous recent reports of bust-ups with the likes of Hernan Crespo, Patrick Vieira and Luis Figo.

“Materazzi has played three games on the trot and I just wanted to give him a round of rest.”

Mancini then spoke briefly about the controversial Champions League exit to Liverpool in the last 16.

In the first leg at Anfield, the Nerazzurri were reduced to 10 men after just half-an-hour when Materazzi picked up two dubious yellow cards.

“The game against Liverpool? I say only that, eleven against eleven, we would have never lost," Mancini concluded.

Liverpool play the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday night against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The scores are level at 1-1 from the first leg at Anfield.

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