Westham’s European run ends in heartbreak
Westham’s Europa League journey has come to an unfortunate close. Despite a valiant effort against Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, a late deflected goal sealed their fate.
Michail Antonio’s early header had briefly raised hopes of a historic upset, but a late strike by substitute Jeremie Frimpong sent the Hammers crashing out. The London club received a deserved standing ovation for their performance, but Antonio’s post-match comments regarding referee Jose Maria Sanchez’s officiating might land him in hot water.
Antonio’s frustration could lead to European suspension
While Westham can be proud of their European run, Michail Antonio might face disciplinary action for his criticism of the referee. His strong comments about the officiating could lead to a suspension from future European competitions for Westham if they qualify again soon.
”I felt like I didn’t get a decision all game. I felt a bit frustrated. We felt like we deserved more. Sometimes the decisions don’t go your way. We move on, build on that and try to get into the Europa League next year.
“It doesn’t feel like you’re playing against 11 men, it feels like you’re playing against 13 or 14 including the two linos. You have to keep pushing and try and make the decisions go your way, but they just weren’t. We had to keep playing our way and keep being professional.
“We’re very proud of ourselves – three back-to-back years in European quarter-finals is unbelievable, I would never have thought that. We were a yo-yo team – into Europe, then fighting for relegation.” said, as per The Mirror.
Sanchez issued yellow cards to 11 players and ejected one coach from each bench, prompting Moyes to express his frustration with a hiss.
“If that’s the way it is in Spain, you wouldn’t want to watch too much Spanish football.
“I have to say my players were brilliant tonight and I can’t fault their effort,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sports Buddy reported in other news on the effect of Manchester City and Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League exit on rivals United and Tottenham.
