Scots slam Spanish ref

Alex McLeish has called on UEFA to remove the referee who officiated the Euro 2008 qualifier between Scotland and Italy, Manuel Gonzalez. Paul Hartley has also said that the Spanish referee was too keen to give away decisions in Italy's favour.

McLeish said: “The official gave the decision, unbelievably, a terrible one, no doubt about it.

“And UEFA people must ask him why he gave that and say that’s a terrible decision.

“If it was a player making a terrible decision in a game or a big mistake he probably might not play in the next game.

“That official, they will have to look at and say ’should they be officiating in a game such as that?’

“I think he has made a horrendous mistake. “The guy, for me, doesn’t deserve to be officiating at a high level.”

And Hartley argued the Spanish official had put Scotland up against it throughout the game with some harsh decisions.

He said: “There wasn’t a bad foul in the game.

“As you saw with some of the decisions, we didn’t touch any players.

“If you are going to go into a football game and not tackle, then what’s the point in playing?

“I thought he was poor. I didn’t think he was strong enough, I thought he gave bad decisions against us but you have to put up with that in football, it’s cruel.”