Manchester United are still feeling aggrieved about the red card Lisandro Martinez received against Leeds United, even more than a week after the incident at Old Trafford.
The defender was sent off for violent conduct after pulling Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair during the game, and looked genuinely surprised when the red card was brandished.
United went on to lose 2-1, with manager Michael Carrick calling it one of the worst refereeing decisions he has ever seen, slamming Paul Tierney for overreacting.
More than a week later, the frustration has not faded, and Manchester United appealed against the decision after the incident. However, the FA’s ruling on the matter is obvious.
The FA have confirmed the red card against Lisandro Martinez
Manchester United remain deeply unhappy with what happened to Lisandro Martinez, particularly the red card shown by referee Paul Tierney, which they feel was completely unnecessary.
The club believe there was nothing in the incident to suggest Martinez acted violently towards the Leeds striker and sees the decision as a clear overreaction.
Their frustration only intensified over the weekend when similar incidents were judged far less harshly by officials.
However, the FA have confirmed the decision, and they have upheld the decision made by the on-field officials and VAR.
They insist that there is nothing to suggest that Tierney made an obvious error, and they also rejected Manchester United’s argument that the punishment was excessive.
The governing body stressed that hair pulling “ought not to be tolerated and should be discouraged”.
Manchester United remain deeply unhappy
Manchester United believed similar incidents had happened in recent Premier League games, and unlike Martinez, no one was sent off.
In Brentford’s game against Fulham, Dango Ouattara escaped a red card after pulling Calvin Bassey’s hair, with Tierney, the same referee from the Leeds match, awarding only a free-kick.
The FA also chose not to take any retrospective action against Ouattara, confirming that both Tierney and VAR official Craig Pawson had reviewed the incident at the time.
Martinez has already missed United’s 1-0 win over Chelsea due to his suspension and will also sit out the upcoming matches against Brentford and Liverpool.
