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Red card for Barthez does the trick for Valencia
Gothenburg (Sweden), May 20: Valencia added the Uefa Cup to their Spanish League title with a 2-0 win over a Marseille side forced to play half of the final with 10 men after goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was sent off.
Gothenburg (Sweden), May 20: Valencia added the Uefa Cup to their Spanish League title with a 2-0 win over a Marseille side forced to play half of the final with 10 men after goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was sent off.
After losing two Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001, it proved to be third time lucky for Rafael Benitez's side with the red card Barthez received for pulling down Valencia striker Mista at the end of the first half proving fatal for Marseille yesterday.
Spain midfielder Vicente Rodriguez dispatched the spot-kick that resulted from Barthez's foul and Mista killed the match as a contest with a superbly-taken strike just before the hour mark.
Marseille coach Jose Anigo was left bitterly disappointed but voiced his pride in a campaign that has restored the European credentials of France's biggest and best-supported club.
"It is very disappointing because I'm convinced that if it had stayed 11 against 11 we would have got a result," Anigo said.
"(Referee Pierluigi) Collina came into the dressing room to explain that he had no option but to give Fabien a red card but I thought it was a bit harsh, he could have just given a yellow.
"But I don't want to take anything away from what we achieved by getting to this final. Even the best referees in the world have the right to some bad matches."
Bureau Report
After losing two Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001, it proved to be third time lucky for Rafael Benitez's side with the red card Barthez received for pulling down Valencia striker Mista at the end of the first half proving fatal for Marseille yesterday.
Spain midfielder Vicente Rodriguez dispatched the spot-kick that resulted from Barthez's foul and Mista killed the match as a contest with a superbly-taken strike just before the hour mark.
Marseille coach Jose Anigo was left bitterly disappointed but voiced his pride in a campaign that has restored the European credentials of France's biggest and best-supported club.
"It is very disappointing because I'm convinced that if it had stayed 11 against 11 we would have got a result," Anigo said.
"(Referee Pierluigi) Collina came into the dressing room to explain that he had no option but to give Fabien a red card but I thought it was a bit harsh, he could have just given a yellow.
"But I don't want to take anything away from what we achieved by getting to this final. Even the best referees in the world have the right to some bad matches."
Bureau Report