Van Persie: Red card was a ´total joke´

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has slammed his sending off in the Gunners’ 3-1 loss to Barcelona on Tuesday as a ‘total joke’.

Van Persie was shown a controversial red card after picking up a second caution for time wasting with the second leg of Arsenal’s Champions League last-16 tie poised at 1-1 in the second half.

The Gunners, who were leading 3-2 on aggregate at the stage, then conceded two goals to the Spanish giants and were bundled out of the tournament.

Referee Massimo Busacca sent Van Persie packing after the Dutchman was flagged for offside but proceeded to get his shot away, which Busacca interpreted as Van Persie kicking the ball away in frustration.

Speaking after the match, a visibly distraught Van Persie was adamant his sending off was unfair and had changed the course of the match.

“I believe so. I think it had a big influence,” Van Persie told Sky Sports.

“It was a total joke, the sending off, because how can I hear his whistle with 95,000 people jumping up?”

When told there was just one second between Busacca’s whistle and his kick, Van Persie replied: “That makes it even worse.”

“I can’t understand the view from the ref. It’s just a joke. He’s been bad all evening. He was against us. I don’t know why he’s here tonight, it’s a joke.”

“I explained there were 95,000 people jumping up so how could I hear his whistle. But he said ‘second yellow’.”

“We feel betrayed almost because everyone fought really hard. When it was 1-1 it was all to play for and in my opinion the ref killed the game.”