Montreal Impact coach felt hard done by over dismissal.
Montreal Impact coach Marco Schällibaum believes his sending off during Montreal’s game with DC United was harsh. Both Schällibaum and DC coach Ben Olsen were sent off after the pair repeatedly clashed during the match, culminating in a coming together of the two teams’ technical staff after a collision between Impact midfielder Justin Mapp and DC United defender James Riley.
The incident occurred in the 75th minute of the game when the two players leapt up to challenge for a header. Mapp came off worst in the coming together and was knocked down into touch where he collided with a television camera.
Schällibaum, who had raced over towards Mapp in a fury after the midfielder had taken the knock, explained that he couldn’t understand why he was shown a red card.
“I was one meter out of my technical area but I didn’t say anything,” Schällibaum said. “When you have a friend or a player that dangerously goes flying into a TV Camera its normal that I’m going to go over there and help. The referees weren’t sensitive to this, that’s all it is”.
Mapp, who didn’t suffer any injury from the collision, said he didn’t think there was any malice in the challenge.
“We both went up for the ball on the sideline and it’s pretty tight over there with the cameras and stuff,” Mapp said. “Momentum just kind of carried us over and I don’t think there was any intent on his part. I ended up being fine.”
If handed a suspension, it would be Schällibaum’s fourth of the season. He was suspended for red cards in two games against Kansas City and for repeatedly leaving his technical area in a home match against Colorado.
During his coaching career in Switzerland, Schällibaum was dubbed the ‘Swiss Volcano’ for constant outbursts towards referees.
Source: Goal.com
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