Emre Can launched into a scathing attack on the performance of the referee after Borussia Dortmund were knocked out of the Champions League following a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea.
Graham Potter s side faced a tough task after losing the first leg 1-0 in Germany, but Raheem Sterling s first-half goal and a Kai Havertz penalty secured a 2-1 aggregate win for the Blues.
Havertz s penalty was the subject of much controversy after the forward was allowed to retake the spot-kick following encroachment from Salih Ozcan during his first missed attempt, a decision that left Can furious.
The referee was to blame, the Dortmund midfielder told Prime Video.
I don t understand the second penalty. How can you give it? I don t give a damn who ran into the penalty area before. He hits the post, finished.
Speaking further on the performance of Danny Makkelie, he said: The referee was arrogant throughout the game. I wanted to talk to him normally at half-time, that s where it starts.
Thank you for all the support
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow)
We re playing here at Stamford Bridge. Maybe the referee is afraid of the fans. UEFA should send another referee. That s just not possible.
Dortmund had won 10 consecutive games prior to this second-leg encounter, with defeat on Tuesday their first of 2023 and seeing them fail to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League in back-to-back seasons.
Despite the narrow loss, Can was pleased with his side s performance, suggesting Dortmund were not to blame for the defeat.
He said: We played a decent game. I am proud to be part of this team. We need not be ashamed. We didn t embarrass ourselves. In the end, we lost undeservedly, also because of the officials.
