Escriba ‘won’t talk about refs, but…’

Fran Escriba tried not to criticise the referee in Villarreal’s Champions League second leg defeat to Monaco but questioned the late penalty.

The Yellow Submarine lost 1-0 in Monaco, a late spot kick given for handball against Mateo Musacchio, after going down to a 2-1 defeat at El Madrigal to fall at the first hurdle and drop into the Europa League, with Escriba ruing the missed chance of Rafael Santos Borre.

“It would have changed the game. It would have encouraged us and given them doubts. Then they stopped the game, imposed a slow pace and eventually created chances,” he said, AS reports.

“We played with everything we had, offensively. Injuries have taken away many of the options we needed. We all wanted the Champions League but the Europa League is nice and has prestige. We want to win it.

“I don’t talk about referees but they’ve shown me a picture that looks like the arm is away from the body. If the referee was wrong it’s not us who should judge him.”

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