Neil Lennon criticized Barcelona’s prolific striker, Neymar for his behavior in the build-up to the dismissal of Scott Brown in the Champions League.
Barcelona’s counter-part, Martino however believes that the officials were correct in making the decision. Barcelona secured a victory with a margin of 1 goal in Scotland. Their 100% record was kept intact and they remained at the top of Group H.
It should be noted that the game was overshadowed by the straight red card awarded to Brown after French referee; Stephane Lannoy awarded the Celtic captain one. The tackle which brought the Brazilian down was the reason for the red-card.
The crowd at Parkhead was only agitated when they saw the replays in which Brown made minimal contact when the tackle was made.
Lennon decided to target Neymar after the match. His antics turned out to be the deciding factor in the closely fought match.
“A lot was going on in the game which warranted sterner punishment, so I believe that it was a game-changing decision. The sending off was uncalled for. It was very soft. I have looked at the replays. The contact was minimal. Neymar isn’t doing himself any favours by behaving they way he did”, Lennon told the BBC.
However, Martino held a different view of the incident. “The sending off was correct. The referee saw it. It was one of our best complete games. We performed when we had to. We were in control of the game at all times. Except for the one shot in which Victor Valdes made a brilliant save, we didn’t have any particular troubles with the ball”, he said.