Referee Bjorn Kuipers has come under criticism from Paris Saint-Germain midfield pair Marco Verratti and Ander Herrera for insulting the club’s players during their Champions League semi-final defeat to Manchester City.
Verratti claimed he was sworn at by Kuipers, while Herrera alleged he heard team-mate Leandro Paredes being verbally abused by the Dutch official at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Kuipers sent off Angel Di Maria in the 69th minute for an off-the-ball stamp on City midfielder Fernandinho as the Premier League leaders sealed a 2-0 win on the night to progress to the final 4-1 on aggregate.
Speaking to Sky in Italy, Verratti said: “I think the best thing to do is to take a good look at each other, we were in the race until Di Maria was sent off. At that point, we needed a miracle.
“The only thing I don’t like is when the referee tells you to “f*** off”, we always try to be respectful, but he did that three or four times during the game.
“He started giving yellow cards here and there and we became a little nervous. It’s not his fault. Manchester City deserve to qualify, they have great players. We could have done more in the first leg.”
Herrera told French media outlet RMC Sport: “We talk about respect towards referees. If we say that, we get a three or four-match ban.”
PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino has suggested there should be an investigation into the claims by governing body UEFA.
“Verratti explained to the TV in an interview,” Pochettino said in his post-match news conference. “We need to believe in what they are telling us.
“I didn’t hear anything from the touchline. If something is there and it is how they explain, maybe UEFA will investigate the situation.
“That is not an excuse. The most important is that we’re not in the final, that is why we feel really sad.”
UEFA are waiting on the match delegate report.
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