Gold Coast United coach Miron Bleiberg has apologised for his outburst at referee Peter Green following his side’s dramatic 3-2 loss to Sydney FC on Sunday.
Gold Coast United coach Miron Bleiberg has apologised for his outburst at referee Peter Green following his side-s dramatic 3-2 loss to Sydney FC on Sunday.
Gold Coast were 2-0 up after 46 minutes but a committed Sydney side fought their way back into the game, eventually winning a controversial penalty deep into injury time to win the game 3-2.
Directly after the game, Bleiberg let rip at Green, saying the decision “left a bitter taste”.
“When you talk about referees there are a few types,” Bleiberg said. “[There is] one type, the brave one, and the other type of referee is the referees that we call the ‘homey’ one.
“You know why the ‘homey’ one? Because all the time they favour the home team.
“I bet with you when I go home and watch the throw in that led to the second (Sydney) goal, you can watch 200 million times, it maybe 50-50 but it was never a (correct) throw-in for Sydney.
“I can ask you a rhetorical question, but I’m asking myself, had this penalty (for Sydney) whether it was touched or not touched, (happened) in the 92nd minute of the penalty area of Sydney, would he have given it?”
But on Monday morning Bleiberg issued an apology, saying his comments were made “in the heat of the moment”.
“We lost a goal and lost the game in the final 30 seconds of the contest and naturally my emotions and disappointment were running very high at that time, just as they were in our dressing room.
“Perhaps my emotions got the better of me and if I offended anyone then I apologise for that. It was more an expression of disappointment made in the heat of the moment.
“The match was a spectacle and a great advertisement for the Hyundai A-League in which we contributed to the best of our ability. Credit should go to Sydney for their comeback and the character they showed.”
