Jorge Sampaoli admitted referee Mark Clattenburg was right to stand him to the stands, but believes Sevilla’s loss to Juventus was not fair.
The game turned after Franco Vazquez was dismissed for the hosts in the 35th minute with his side a goal up, but a controversial penalty just before the break and two second half strikes downed the spirit Andalucians.
“The referee was right to send me off, because I was protesting,” confessed Sampaoli.
“It was a painful night, because we took the lead and thought we were going to qualify this evening. Unfortunately because of the incidents, we couldn’t hope for that tonight.
“My team put in so much effort and worked so hard, but came away with nothing. It was difficult to tell we were down to 10 men, as we barely allowed any chances until the final minutes.
“It’s just a pity we couldn’t make more of our own opportunities. I think we lost this game unfairly.”
The Argentine coach also stated ‘it was not up to me to analyse’ when asked about the decisions during the match.
Sevilla’s qualification hopes now hinge on their visit to Lyon in two weeks, with a one-goal defeat or better enough to see them through to the next round.
