Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho gave a sharp two-word response to journalists after Tottenham knocked the Premier League champions out of Europe.
City fell to a defeat on away goals in the quarterfinal tie with Spurs after the scoreline finished 4-4 on aggregate after two legs, with a thrilling game at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night ending in heartbreak for the home side.
Pep Guardiola’s men took the lead in the fourth minute on the night thanks to Raheem Sterling, but a quickfire Son Heung-min double turned the game on its head shortly after.
Bernardo Silva then equalised one minute later before Sterling struck again to give City a 3-2 lead after just 21 minutes, which is how the scoreline stayed until just after the interval when Sergio Aguero fired home a fourth.
Then came the controversy. Spurs substitute Fernando Llorente made it 4-3 in the 73rd minute after diverting the ball into the net via his thigh and a brush of the arm, but only after a VAR review judged that he had not handled the ball intentionally.
City then relentlessly pursued the goal they needed to progress to the semi-finals and they thought they’d got it in stoppage time when Sterling netted for his hat-trick – only to be denied by VAR who correctly ruled that he had been in an offside position.
FULL-TIME | We gave it everything.
? 4-3 (4-4) ?? #cityvthfc #mancity pic.twitter.com/3tlQUeDEWl
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 17, 2019
According to The Daily Mirror, Fernandinho said “F*** VAR” in response to reporters asking him for comment in the mixed zone after the game, clearly shaken by the dramatic events which had unfolded in Manchester.
The Brazilian’s uncharacteristic foul-mouthed outburst perfectly summed up how the squad must have been feeling, after coming so close to an incredible victory which was snatched away in cruel fashion.
When Sterling fired home what City thought was the winning goal, the home stadium erupted and Guardiola ran down the touchline in delight, completely oblivious to the discussions taking place between officials.
After the dust settled, the English champions were out of the Champions League and Tottenham had earned a place in the last four against Ajax – with City’s quadruple hopes up in flames.
