Man City Manager Claims Three-Year Wait for Referee Apology

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca asserted that the club is still waiting for an apology from referees' chief Howard Webb regarding a controversial goal in a 2023 derby against Manchester United.

Maresca's comments came after Erling Haaland's goal in a recent match was disallowed due to an offside interference by Enzo Fernández, with VAR officials later admitting a mistake. This incident prompted Webb to communicate with Manchester United, and the VAR officials involved were stood down for subsequent Premier League games.

Maresca questioned the disparity in the handling of this situation compared to an incident in January 2023. During that match, Bruno Fernandes scored an equalizer for Manchester United despite Marcus Rashford appearing to be in an offside position and interfering with play. City subsequently conceded another goal shortly after.

"Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you," Maresca stated. "Three years ago when I was here, the same thing happened to us against Man United and we lost to them in the derby there. The goal was not a regular goal if you remember. And no one apologises. We are still waiting for the apology for that."

Maresca shifted the focus to his team's performance in the recent victory, which extended their lead over rivals to eight points after four games. He praised the team's performance, especially considering they played for a significant portion of the match with 10 players.

"To talk about one moment after that game when we played for 70, 75 minutes with 10 players is quite poor," Maresca said. "I think the performance was unbelievable and I'm pleased."

He also acknowledged the difficulty faced by VAR officials, stating, "It is not easy for the VAR and those in front of the screen who make a decision in 10-20 seconds. It is not easy for them. People make mistakes, I make mistakes, players make mistakes."