Champions League 2006-2007: Lille want rematch

Blame Game Rumbles On The hostility between Manchester United and Lille spiralled to new heights last night when it emerged that the French club have demanded that their acrimonious Champions League match on Tuesday be replayed because of the perceived “invalidity” of Ryan Giggs’s winning goal. Lille’s written request to UEFA, European football’s governing body, is almost certain to be dismissed at a meeting of three members of their control and disciplinary body today. It is more likely that Lille would be expelled from the competition because of a combination of their behaviour and the security situation inside the Felix-Bollaert Stadium, but by far the most probable outcome is a rancorous second leg at OT on 7 March. The whole protest by Lille is absolutely ridiculous "The Free-Kick Law: The referee only needs to blow his whistle if the attacking team ask him to move the wall back. Otherwise, the kick can be taken quickly, without warning." I think this pretty much says it all, I have come across this rule at my own team's matches. The ref only has to blow his whistle to call the foul, to stop the play there needs to be another whistle in case the attacking team wants the wall to be put in its correct place, for example. The whole protest by Lille is absolutely ridiculous, but then again, when have the French not been sore losers? - KingKanchelskis, Manchester United fan. An ugly, ugly scene It all started when UEFA allowed Lille to play the home leg of their Manny U Champions League match-up in an older, smaller stadium with more antiquated facilities. It was a raucous atmosphere from the start to be sure, and the game was intense. And then, in the 83rd minute, cheeky Ryan Giggs took a quick free kick before the referee's whistle and before the Lille keeper had set. He curled it into the right corner of the net. The referee allowed the goal to stand. And all hell broke loose. On the ensuing kickoff, Lille kicked the ball off the pitch, and it appeared that Lille coach Claude Puel brought his team off the pitch. He certainly called them to the sideline. Despite all appearances to ther contrary, Puel is denying he brought his players off, but Sir Alex Ferguson is vehemently claiming it was a pure attempt at intimidation of the referee. Puel explained that "In France the tradition is to make a protest at the first pause in the game and then after the match. It's not logical. The signal the referee gave was not clear for everyone, especially for us ... I don't understand. We could not express a formal complaint as we could not find a Uefa delegate." If this is the tradition in France, it's a crap tradition. It clearly only added to the anger in the stands. But on the second point, I can see where he's coming from. Even Wayne Rooney, who placed the ball for Giggs, looked confused by the kick. According to the game announcer, it is at the discretion of the refereee in soccer when to allow play to resume on a free. Some require that you wait for a whistle. Others do not. That's a mighty tough way to lose a home Champions League leg in the knockout round. And when the play continued after a minute, the stands had erupted in anger with Lille fans hailing objects towards Manny U players on the pitch. Gary Neville was struck in the head with something, and looked to be bleeding. Due to the less-than-modern facilities, and the hostile environment, when United supporters started feeling that they were being crushed, with "shades of Hillsborough" in mind, some started climbing the gates to get out, and were promptly pepper sprayed and detained by French police. Sources: sportsfrog.com, manutd.com, teamtalk.com