Carragher furious at ref's call to deny Bellingham goal against Man City

Published on: 07 April 2021

Jamie Carragher and Micah Richard's became embroiled in a spicy on-air row on Tuesday night following Manchester City's fortunate Champions League let off against Borussia Dortmund.

City took a slender 2-1 victory over the Germans in the first leg, though all eyes were on the referee after a very contentious decision regarding Jude Bellingham and goalkeeper Ederson saw the young Englishman wrongly stripped of a goal.

Bellingham had robbed Ederson of possession and strode towards goal to net before half-time of the quarter-final first leg, but Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan blew for a foul before Bellingham tapped into an empty net and the move could therefore not be reviewed by VAR.

Digesting the incident following the match, Carragher and Richard's found themselves in a heated clash of words which left the Liverpool legend gesticulating animatedly.

'We're talking about VAR and how we're spoiling the game because we're taking away from the referee managing the game...' Richards began, before an incensed Carragher quickly piled in and pointed out his colleague's bias.

'I know why you didn't want VAR tonight, Jesus Christ! It should be 2-2.' said Carragher on the CBS Champions League show.

'That's nonsense. It's a unique situation, it's not normal, that doesn't happen often,' Carragher continued before Richards quickly attempted to interject and offer his thought that the incident was only unique to Carragher's understanding.

At this point, the former Liverpool man all but lost his head and could not see how his co-pundit was not grasping the situation.

Carragher raged on: 'How can you not understand this? This is the most bizarre thing I've ever heard. Right, he goes through and thinks it's a foul, not a problem... but he knows if he blows that whistle it takes VAR out of the equation... yes?

'We all know what's going to happen. He will roll the ball in the net and then we can have a look.'

Richards took Carragher's opinion on board, before posing the idea that nowhere in the rule book does it say that the referee does not have to blow his whistle, if he believes categorically that a foul has occurred.

'Do you think tonight when he goes back into the room, the people at UEFA or FIFA looking at his performance will say "he got that right"?' Carragher added as a final sentiment, before Richards then joined him in agreement that the official made the incorrect call.

Lead presenter Kate Abdo then had to come between the pair and interject loudly, telling the viewers at home: 'men love to argue, don't they?'

Both men quickly made up their differences, however, with a closing clip from the show revealing that Carragher grabbed Richard's hand along with that of his fellow co-pundits before comically singing a verse from Liverpool's anthem, You'll Never Walk Alone.

City avoided a scare at home to Dortmund and will now take a 2-1 lead into the second leg of the fixture.

An injury time goal from Phil Foden added to Kevin De Bruyne's earlier strike, with Dortmund believing they had got back into the contest in the closing stages through captain Marco Reus.

Source: m.allfootballapp.com

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