Spanish star Luis Garcia has slammed the Australian A-League’s referee appointment policy after he was one of two Central Coast Mariners players sent off in a match this weekend.
Garcia, 37, a UEFA Champions League winner with Liverpool, was dismissed after a second booking in the Mariners’ 4-0 loss to Perth Glory in Perth on Saturday.
The former Spanish international was one of two Mariners players to receive a red card as the visitors finished the match with nine men and eight yellow cards.
Garcia, who played 20 times for Spain along with stints with Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool, took to social media to apologise to the fans after the Mariners’ sixth straight defeat to anchor them firmly at the bottom of the competition standings.
“Apologies to the supporters for my send off today!! I never liked excuses but never seen a referee on a game,from the same city he was born!,” Garcia said on Twitter.
Local newspapers pointed out that the match referee Adam Fielding was born in England and moved to Australia five years ago.
