Paris Saint-Germain manager Unai Emery has claimed that his side should have been awarded a penalty in their Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat at Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
Los Blancos emerged 3-1 winners at the Bernabeu, courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo brace and a late strike from Marcelo, despite Adrien Rabiot having given PSG the lead.
However, Sergio Ramos appeared to block a Rabiot shot with his arm early in the second half with the scoreline level, and Emery was left aggrieved with referee Gianluca Rocchi for not awarding a spot kick.
"I was told there could have been a hand by Ramos. I didn't see it but I was told what it was, it's the referee's job and if it's a penalty you have to call it," Emery is quoted by Football Espana as saying. "It's not a matter of justification. I think we can come back if the referee's decisions don't go the other way.
"My feelings are contradictory. At 1-1 they were strengthened by a very doubtful decision of the referee. After we were better with the ball and in control, always with the ambition to score a second goal, and a doubtful decision has opened the possibility of a comeback.
"Madrid can hurt you with fast transitions. If we had been more accurate and if the referee had been a more balanced judge we could have drawn or even won because we were closest to 2-1 from the 70th minute.
"They are the favourites because they're the Champions League holders and because they've won it three of the last four times, but we have the capacity to overcome them."
The return leg at the Parc des Princes takes place on Tuesday, March 6.
Giuseppe Labellarte
