Jamie Carragher says he is “happy to call Rio Ferdinand a clown” due to their difference in opinion regarding a Champions League penalty decision.
Milan rivals AC and Inter locked horns at San Siro on Wednesday in the first leg of their eagerly-anticipated last-four showdown. During that contest, World Cup-winning Nerazzurri striker Lautaro Martinez went down inside the box following a tussle with Simon Kjaer – resulting in referee Jesus Gil Manzano pointing to the spot and booking the Rossoneri defender. That decision was reversed following a VAR review but ex-Manchester United centre-half Ferdinand – who was working as a pundit for BT – said it was a “stonewall” penalty and the original call should have stood.
Carragher;
“I think anyone out there who is watching the replay and seeing what VAR do and still believe that is a penalty, they must be a clown.”
It was later put to him that his former Liverpool colleague Steven Gerrard thought a penalty should have been awarded, leading Carragher to say:
"He was an attacking player, wasn't he? He was liable a little bit himself under a little bit of contact - always contact, never a dive. I understand where he is coming from. It's just when players in my position who are defenders, English defenders who are commentating on the game.”
Carragher added
"I can understand attackers thinking it was a penalty (turning to Thierry Henry) if you did, and Stevie was an attacker. Maybe he felt there was a little bit of contact. But as a defender we have to stick together don't we, and I just felt people were getting a little bit carried away. Rio Ferdinand. I'm happy to call him a clown!”
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