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Red card was a joke, says Van Persie
ARSENAL striker Robin van Persie branded his red card a “joke” as his side crashed out of the Champions League against Barcelona for the second year in a row.
Van Persie was given a second yellow by referee Massimo Busacca card 11 minutes into the second-half for time wasting, just 180 seconds after Arsenal had restored their aggregate advantage.
“I think the red card had a big influence,” he said. “I think it’s a total joke – how can I hear this whistle with 95,000 people?”
Just a second elapsed between Busacca blowing his whistle and Van Persie striking the ball, and the Dutch international continued: “That makes it even worse. I cannot understand that view from the ref. He’s been bad all evening. We feel betrayed a bit.”