Big Phil riled over unfair sacking of Lampard

LONDON: Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said he hoped the Football Association would overturn the red card shown to midfielder Frank Lampard on Sunday.

Chelsea have submitted an appeal against the red card to the Football Association yesterday.

Lampard was sent off by Mike Riley for a tackle on Xabi Alonso after 60 minutes of the 2-0 defeat at Liverpool but it looked a harsh decision with Alonso appearing to be as much the culprit as the Chelsea player.

“If the referee looks at it on the television maybe he changes the red card for Lampard. As I looked at it, it was a foul by the other player, not Lampard,” Scolari, whose side are now five points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United, told Sky Sports News.

“I don’t understand (the decision) but maybe now after he looks at it again, if he understands what is wrong, he will change the red card and Lampard can play in the next game.

“He can’t play in the next three games because of a mistake.

It is not possible the people in the FA see this and agree.”

Scolari, who felt Riley’s decision changed the game, admitted that Jose Bosingwa was lucky to stay on the pitch after a karate-type kick into the back of Yossi Benayoun when the Liverpool midfielder was killing time in the corner.

“If the referee decided to send off Bosingwa I would have understood. A red card for this I would accept, but not Lampard’s,” Scolari said.

Lampard successfully appealed against a red card last year when he was sent off against West Ham United. — Reuters